Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles 

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Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles 

In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.

Sid Shuman (he/him) Senior Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications

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.

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9,049 Comments

  • ManuelKoegler
    July 1, 2026 at 5:21 am PDT

    Playstation, you go ahead with this decision and you won’t be having me and many others as customers anymore.

  • mosquito53
    July 1, 2026 at 5:21 am PDT

    As a consumer, we should always have the option digital or physical. This is not good for any of us as the consumers, that option should always be there, no matter how digital to physical sales data leans one way or another.

  • wesker85
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    Not cool Sony. Games getting more and more expensive without Owning anything.

  • ovenofficer
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    Even if players prefer buying digital games the existence of a disc alternative has no impact on them. Just say you’re cutting production costs and pushing them towards PS store where you keep all the revenue.

  • ddmurillo
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    You definitely don’t want to lost the “worst gaming company” title no? MS announce bad news and you need to announce a worst one. Awful.

  • bearzilla88
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    I guess the PS5 will be the last Sony console I own then. If all digital is being forced then I will stick to Steam.

  • Lymus
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    Discs were the only reason for me and many others to still play on Playstation over PC

  • MaXi_JP
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    Is this a joke? come on guys, its july, not april

  • chunkking
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    This is terrible news. I do not like this at all.

  • cvictim420
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    Interesting considering blu-ray sale have continued to increase proving people would rather own their media that essentially rent it.

  • telecobra
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    Let’s go to PC.

  • AngieK22
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    The PS5 was the last console I ever buy from PS. And I hope PS goes bankrupt. It would make me happy

  • francis-cop
    July 1, 2026 at 5:22 am PDT

    What are we going to do with our PS4 and PS5 game discs? The PS6 will be without me… RIP Sony

  • starbornracer
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    It’s also the date I stop buying games

  • rowrowftpowah
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    This is terrible news. I’m disappointed in Sony/Playstation and this evaporates any interest I have in PS6. I hope you will reconsider this decision, physical media is important to maintain, otherwise it’s all just renting games until the powerful corporations decide to make them unavailable. This be move makes me regret supporting you these past two decades.

  • Snake2410
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    Neay 250 platinums, been with Sony since 1998, every generation from PS2 on I’ve been an early adopter, nearly all physical, and this is how you treat us. Really not the right way to do this. Especially with people who lose their accounts due to your poor security and you requiring them to jump through hoops to recover them. Fix your security ASAP before anything else. Physical needs to stay. I don’t see myself continuing with Playstation if this is the path that you continue on.

  • Blanco718_
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    Horrible Horrible Horrible decision

  • nozaku4u
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    “As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital”
    This statement could not be more wrong. Pure tone deaf corporate rubbish. CD/vinyl music and dvd/blu-ray sales are increasing as people realize “all digital” is a trap.

    As of June 2026, Sony is removing over 500 digital movies and TV shows from user libraries.

    Next step, removing games you paid for. As a long standing Sony fan, this is the end for me.

  • WeedWarrior88
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    Trash decision!! Ive been here since ps1. Good job, after PS5, once theres no new disc you’ve lost a customer.

  • gabrielmao
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    That works for me, but now you need to change the terms of service and make me accept a TOS that CLEARLY AND EXPLICITLY states that the games I purchase ARE AND WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY POSSESSION, that you cannot revoke my access to the games I buy, and that when support for the device running the game ends, I CAN DOWNLOAD THE FILES AND KEEP THEM FOR PERSONAL USE. In this case, well, be my guest Sony.

  • GR-6484
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    This is bull 💩. Sony your not 💩 Nintendo

  • ThePudgyLove97
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    As someone who mainly buys digital, I bought a PS5 with the disc model SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I wanted to have the choice. Don’t take this choice from us. You still have time, you can fix this.

  • xxkaydenmlg420xx
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    If this affects 3rd Party and Indie releases as well Imma bungie jump into a volcano On Foenem.

  • Megajojito
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    I can’t believe a company like Sony PlayStation would make this decision. We’ve gone from showing off at the PS4 reveal E3—where the best way to share games was simply handing them from one person to another, as a jab at the Xbox One—to this. With this decision, you’ve basically handed the market to Steam on a silver platter. Congratulations on killing the wonderful world of video games.

  • bearzilla88
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    Guess it’s PC only from here on out. No more Sony consoles for me after PS5!

  • GTAce
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    Ah, another reason not to own a PlayStation anymore. Keep ’em coming, just put the nails in the coffin one by one.

  • moraxiastraria
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    This is nothing short of anti-consumer, the only reason you are doing this is so you can control and stop peoples access to games whenever you feel like it! Sony should be ashamed. There has never been a better reason to stop supporting sony and playstation than this!

  • JMan8891
    July 1, 2026 at 5:23 am PDT

    Absolutely terrible news and very anti-consumer. I remember a the PSN hack and nearly losing everything. I still had all of my physical games and was in a decent position. Terrible timing with the mass revoking of people’s movies as well.

  • aemilia_6
    July 1, 2026 at 5:24 am PDT

    This is a terrible decision. No more Playstation for me :'(

  • TJ_Solo
    July 1, 2026 at 5:24 am PDT

    My preference is physical and that never shifted. These companies have been stopping physical releases or doing limited print runs. You publishers prefer digital and have reduced physical options. It is not consumers doing it naturally.
    Given the choice, physical would contend with digital options if you actually compared apples to apples instead of overall sales and the exaggerated digital prducts.

    SIE. Your leadership is lacking control and common sense. You’re doing more than necessary and need to stop deciding things for consumers.

  • osato69
    July 1, 2026 at 5:24 am PDT

    This is a stupid decision I prefer to actually own my games not just a licence that if I decide in 20 years I want to play a game I bought 20 years before I wont be able to download anymore cause the servers are offline. Already not buying GTA 6 till a physical edition comes out looks like I’ll be done buying games and just gamesharing other people’s games.

  • ryanmisale
    July 1, 2026 at 5:24 am PDT

    Discs were the last thing keeping me on your platform (due to the low output of 1st-party single player games this generation). Please don’t do this.

  • GaxxHun94
    July 1, 2026 at 5:24 am PDT

    Are you joking? Shifting trends in consumers preferences? Horrible decision.

  • francis-cop
    July 1, 2026 at 5:24 am PDT

    Adieu playstation

  • ThaBEN_NL
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    I’d eagerly pay €10 more for a physical disc over a digital copy. But seeing as you are quitting physical altogether, I’m going to stop buying games.

  • captubaplayer
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Remember before the PS4 launch when PlayStation at least acted like it cared about trying to be consumer friendly? Those days are long gone it seems. What disappointing news.

  • OverlordGaz
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Prices of games will be reduced in line with the savings you’ll make by not having to produce physical media now…right?

    Ah, who am I kidding.

  • naleak
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    This ain’t it chief

  • Silfurkimera
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Then I’m joining the competition starting 2028, bye Sony!

  • brn-dn
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Embarrassing.

  • schaft0620
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    I have over 1000 physical PS4/PS5 games. I will be pausing my purchases and play time on Playstation.

  • hopelessjenova
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Hahaha, good bye PlayStation. It’s been fun but there is no way on this earth I’m investing my money in digital. I can’t wait for this to backfire spectacularly… which it will.

    Increased RAM prices…. No ownership… ps6 will be digital only.

    I’ll just move to pc. Why invest in a closed ecosystem for digital only when there is a platform that offers open markets.

    You can stick your gaming platform on the dark side of the moon. Along with the minimum £7000+ I spend a year on games.

    You’re about to learn the difference between your core whale gamers and the casual market… the hard way.

  • manda_long
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    thanks, now I’ll just never buy a new ps console nor games again, and save a lot of money :) pretty good decision to make everyone go to steam, i’m sure those guys are celebrating rn

  • ten_rudyy
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Not gonna lie, I’m very disappointed

  • surgepryde
    July 1, 2026 at 5:25 am PDT

    Is this an out of season April Fools joke?

  • obelisk92
    July 1, 2026 at 5:26 am PDT

    You better take that back before PS6 release, or I can guarantee you’ll regret it.

  • AKA_PRINCEJACKUP
    July 1, 2026 at 5:26 am PDT

    Every inch of my body hates this decision from Sony. Every second of every moment in every hour in every month and every year this hate will not fester more and more until both me and every Playstation will have enough and Sony will regret ever making this decision.

  • leland_turnbull
    July 1, 2026 at 5:26 am PDT

    Is Sony planning on adjusting user ownership rights alongside this? Or is the expectation that true owne

  • badpojken
    July 1, 2026 at 5:26 am PDT

    Not fun to hear, but the ability to trade/resell digital games between users would make it less bad..

  • Midnite_Lantern
    July 1, 2026 at 5:26 am PDT

    I’ve been a PlayStation customer since 1995. That ends with this generation, what a greedy and boneheaded decision that will only alienate your customers.

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