Everything comes to an end: PlayStation stops making physical games

Simply put, any game that appears on PlayStation consoles after January 2028 will be available exclusively digitally through the PlayStation Store or as a PlayStation Store code purchased from other retailers. This decision applies only to new games, while games that are olderć published or released before the specified date will not be affected.

Official confirmation and reasons for the decision

As the main reason for this strategic decision, Sony cites changes in consumer preferences and broader trends in the entertainment industry. The company claims that the vast majority of its community prefers to buy games digitally. This claim is supported by data showing that in the čfourth quarterč of 2025 čas many as 85 percent of PlayStation games were purchased digitally.

This move, as reported by GSM Arena, marks a significant turning point and probably indicates that the upcoming PlayStation 6 console, which is also expected to be released around 2028, will be an exclusively digital device without a disc drive.

What the loss of physical media means for games

Physical media has been a selling point for consoles since the very beginning. The possibility of buying a game and simply inserting the disc into the console has always been one of the main reasons for the appeal of consoles. However, for publishers and platform owners like Sony, physical media has always been problematic. Unlike digital codes, physical copies can be shared, transferred or resold.

The end of the era of possession

It’s not uncommon to lend a game to friends, sell it after playing to recoup some of the cost, or buy a used copy from someone else. Retail stores were also able to independently lower game prices to encourage sales. All of this kept game prices low and kept publishers and platform owners out of the equation after the initial purchase, which they obviously didn’t like.

In addition to the possibility of sharing, physical media allowed you to truly own what you bought. To hold it in your hands and have access forever, without worrying that it will disappear from some internet service. Also, it allows the game to be played indefinitely. Even if the publisher, platform owner, or platform itself disappears in the future, as long as you have the correct console and physical version of the game, you can always play it.

Concerns about the digital future

Publishers and platform owners have been trying to devalue physical discs for years. First, they avoided releasing games on physical media whenever possible or put an incomplete version on disc, requiring you to connect to the Internet to download the rest. At that point, it almost doesn’t matter if you buy and download the entire game online.

Ironically, almost mockingly, with the news of the discontinuation of physical games for current and future PlayStation platforms, Sony has announced that it is shutting down the PlayStation Store on the PS3 and PS Vita consoles this year. Although downloads of existing purchased games will still be possible (only new purchases will be stopped), Sony has only offered a guarantee “for the foreseeable future”. This can mean tomorrow, next month, next year or in five years. Nobody knows and that’s the problem. This is why digital stores and purchases made in them cannot be trusted, because you never truly own anything, and platform owners can always decide (and legally) to withdraw content from your library, shut down the store, or simply cease to exist.

Unfortunately, the average customer is more ruled with his wallet. Sony didn’t lie about it; Most people today prefer to buy media online. Games on computers do that more. decades, because companies realized a long time ago that physical media cannot be offered on that platform without being immediately copied and pirated. Of course, as we all know, that killed PC piracy instantly and no game has been illegally distributed since. But, returning to the consoles, things are a little different. Games are distributed exclusively by platform owners, which means there is very little incentive for deep discounts. And with the disappearance of physical media, the worry that people will simply get a used copy from eBay or a friend disappears.

In short, physical media is dying, at least when it comes to about games. Sony may be the first to sound the death knell, but you can be sure that the next consoles from Microsoft and Nintendo won’t offer an option for physical media either. Get ready to pay for everything and own nothing.