Sony is officially killing off physical PlayStation games

Sony is killing physical PlayStation games: After next year, PlayStation games will no longer be printed on discs. Starting in 2028, all newly released games will be available exclusively digitally, with options to purchase games from Sony’s online storefronts or printed redemption codes at brick-and-mortar retailers.

Sony says the change “is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends,” adding that digital PlayStation game sales far outpace physical units shifted. Gaming may be more popular than ever, but physical game sales reportedly hit an all-time low last year. Still, fans aren’t pleased about the news.

The sunsetting of physical game discs makes sense from a business perspective. Discs cost money to produce and make up a minority of game sales, so from an executive level, it looks like an easy cost-cutting measure. But the change will be bad for consumers in a number of ways. Digital PlayStation games can’t be resold or shared, meaning a digital-only model will severely limit the availability of discounted second-hand games, as well as free access through resources like public libraries.

There are also issues with long-term access to games that are only distributed over the internet. If a publisher decides to pull the plug on a particular title after you’ve purchased a digital license, you may not be able to download that game again. Even if every digital PS5 game remains intact for the life of the console, the system’s digital store will surely eventually close. (Sony also announced today that the PlayStation Store for PS3 and PS Vita will start shutting down this summer.)

As of writing, there are more than 400 comments on Sony’s announcement post, and at a glance, none of them are positive. More than a few commenters say that this change in direction has put them off buying an eventual PlayStation 6.

Given the state of physical game sales, plus the fact that the flagship PlayStation 5 Pro’s disc drive is an optional separate purchase, this seemed inevitable. Still, it’s a bummer, especially for collectors of physical media.