Sony confirms plan to end PlayStation disc sales by 2028, cites digital shift
Sony reiterated its decision to discontinue physical game discs for PlayStation, saying the move reflects broader industry digitalization, while acknowledging fan concerns.
Sony reaffirmed its plan to cease production and sale of physical game discs for PlayStation consoles by early 2028, stating the decision aligns with the ongoing digitalization of content across media. Chief financial officer Lin Tao told analysts that the trend toward digital distribution was the primary factor behind the move and that the company had carefully considered the future of its digital ecosystem.
"There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing, that's the big factor," Tao said during the earnings-call Q&A on July 31.
She added that Sony understands the strong emotions the announcement has generated among gamers and will continue to explore ways to engage the community in a fully digital environment.
The announcement has sparked organized protests from some PlayStation fans, including a coordinated “blackout” of PS5 activity and a petition urging Sony to reverse the decision. The backlash has extended to broader criticism of Sony’s online services, especially after a recent outage of the PlayStation Network that temporarily prevented users from accessing games they already owned.