Sony acknowledges fan backlash over disc phase-out but says it won’t affect business

Sony’s first-quarter FY2026 earnings call addressed the company’s plan to discontinue physical game discs beginning in January 2028. CFO Lin Tao said the move reflects the broader shift toward digital content and that Sony will proceed "cautiously" despite vocal criticism from the gaming community.

"We are not seeing any impact on our business at this point," Tao told analysts when asked about the backlash.

She added that most game sales are already digital and that the company does not anticipate a negative effect on revenue. Tao also noted that publishers will continue to ship boxes containing digital codes, although she acknowledged that this does not fully replace the experience of physical discs for many players.

Sony reported that PS5 shipments reached 95.3 million units as of June 30, 2026, with 1.6 million units shipped in the quarter, a decline of 0.9 million from the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Network’s monthly active user base grew to 125 million, up 2 million year-over-year, and 66.1 million games were sold across PS5 and PS4 during the period. The company said it has secured sufficient memory supply for its hardware plans and expects profitability for FY2026 to remain broadly similar to FY2025.