In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.
As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.
This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.
We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.
For important updates on PlayStation Store for PS3 and PS Vita announced today, please click here.
That is incredibly bad…
Huge part of my enjoyment is being able to hold a game in my hand, and knowing that I can play it whenever I want, even with no connection to the internet.
People actually need games physically, so if there’s another way to do it, like a flash card – that would be awesome, and even better than optical disk.
If executives red this, we beg of you – don’t pull the plug on physical games.
If we should get used to not owning our games you should get used to not owning our wallets
Absolutely and totally opposed to this. Physical games allow us to access titles we purchase indefinitely. Digital media can be taken away at any point. Maybe of us in this hobby are collectors. We are proud to display our game collection for visitors to see. Look I totally understand physical media doesn’t make sense for certain multiplayer titles that get updates weekly and require online connection to play. But there are still thousands more single player and local co-op games that would run fine from disc.
I hate to say it, but if Sony goes through with this there will be absolutely no reason not to just switch to PC were Steam and Epic have already mastered the digital space. Or we could see Nintendo become the home to physical media collectors.
This is my first, and probably my last, comment on the PlayStation Blog.
As of today, I have canceled my PS Plus Deluxe subscription, which I had prepaid through 2030.
If I could, I would request a refund… I will probably not even stick with it until then, and I will sell my 30th Anniversary PS5 along with my games and the PlayStation account within the next few months if this decision is not reversed.
I have total and absolute distrust in how consumer rights are being treated right now, with no real upside for us, and I see a much better future as both a gamer and a customer elsewhere.
Thank you for the good memories over the past 25+ years with PlayStation consoles and all the amazing games, but from now on, I’ll spend my hard-earned cash on PC, Steam, GOG, etc.
Did the same and removed my payment method. Luckily, mine runs out next March.