We truly are now living in a digital age. Gone are the days when we would stand in line outside Gamestop until midnight waiting for doors to open so we could purchase the latest Grand Theft Auto game or Call of Duty. Now we can just buy it online and have it downloaded prior to midnight without leaving the comforts of our living rooms. Progress is good in most cases, but PlayStation are about to push it farther than we’re comfortable with… and they’re not backing down!
At the beginning of July 2026, Sony revealed through their PlayStation blog that the physical production of game discs releasing on their consoles would cease in January 2028. The backlash from fans was immediate, with some groups calling for a boycott of PlayStation Online to show Sony exactly how egregious this move would be. To everyone’s dismay though, Sony doubled down on their decision during their Q1 FY2026 earnings call, and it looks like buying and owning your games might be a thing of the past.
Big Changes Are Coming To PlayStation
The confirmations don’t end there though. Alas, any new consoles currently being released on store shelves come with a new warning on the box. If you pick up a PS5 today there is a good chance you’ll see the following warning message on the packaging:
Important notice: from January 2028, newly released games on PlayStation will be available for purchase on PS Store and at retailers in digital format only. Discs for games released before January 2028 can continue to be played on this console.
2028 is still a long way off, but it looks like Sony are planning to stick to their guns for now. The decision to stop players buying physical media means no more trade-ins, no swapping games with your friends and, basically, more money in Sony’s pocket. It also means that they can practically have a monopoly on pricing, seeing as the vast majority of purchases will be made through the PlayStation Store and not through third-party vendors.
The Move Has Proven Extremely Controversial
This move to digital only is unprecedented. Back during the console wars, Xbox tried to push an always online disc verification on players and PlayStation were quick to jump on the bandwagon and mock them. They showed that sharing your library should be as easy as handing the disc over to your friend! Sadly, that was many years ago, and it seems they’re fully committed to controlling a digital-only ecosystem.
Organized blackout periods for PSN, petitions and mass pressure online from fans on social media have done little to deter Sony, and it looks like soon owning physical media will be a thing of the past. But, as always, the true power lies with the consumer and the only way for Sony to do a U-turn is for consumers to vote with their wallets. The future of video games is in a very dark, precarious spot right now!
And while we’re all eagerly anticipating upcoming games like Marvel’s Wolverine or, of course, the perpetually delayed Grand Theft Auto VI, there is a chance that activists could hack the servers and make these games unplayable in the future. Not having physical media to fall back to might just be a step too far. Hopefully, PlayStation will have a change of heart before January 2028. The future of games like God of War Laufey might depend on it!
- Brand
-
Sony
- Original Release Date
-
November 19, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
-
$399.99 (Digital Only), $499.99 (Disc Drive)
- Weight
-
Digital Edition now weighs 3.4 kg & base version weighs 3.9 kg