Come January 2028, Sony says new PlayStation games will stop getting disc releases. Future first-run titles will go digital only.
Anything that already made it to disc before that January 2028 cutoff stays as is. After that point, though, new PlayStation releases will show up through the PlayStation Store or as retail download codes, not as plastic cases sitting on store shelves.
For players who buy discs to keep costs down, this is the part to watch. Losing physical copies could also mean losing retailer discounts, used copies, trade-ins, the ability to lend games out, and those cheaper prices that usually show up later.
From Sony’s side, the timing isn’t hard to understand. The company says digital accounted for 85% of full PlayStation game sales in Q4 of fiscal 2025. Back when the PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, that figure was 13%. Reports also put profit at roughly $28 on a digital sale, compared with about $14 on a physical one, since there are no manufacturing, packaging, or shipping costs eating into the margin.
Players give something up too, and not just the box. A disc can be kept, resold, or handed to a friend. A digital purchase is usually just a license. A Windows Central poll found that 71% of gamers aren’t ready for a fully digital future, and some players will feel the shift more than others, especially those dealing with slower internet, expensive data, limited digital payment options, or fewer cheap used games.
So that’s where things are headed: new PlayStation titles sold digitally through Sony or through retail download codes, with the rest of the industry drifting the same way. That also lines up with the talk around a disc-free PlayStation 6 and big releases like GTA VI leaning heavily into digital from the start.
Author: Jesús Bosque
{
"de-DE": "Ich bin Journalist mit über 30 Jahren Erfahrung in Videospielen und Technologie. Obwohl Videospiele schon immer mein Fachgebiet waren, habe ich begonnen, auch die komplexen Strukturen von Projektmanagement-Tools wie Asana sowie die Automatisierungen mit Make.com und N8N zu entdecken und zu genießen.",
"en-US": "I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in video games and technology. Although my specialty has always been video games, I’ve recently started enjoying exploring the intricacies of project-management tools like Asana, as well as automations with Make.com and N8N.",
"es-ES": "Soy periodista con más de 30 años de experiencia en videojuegos y tecnología. Aunque mi especialidad siempre ha sido el videojuego, he empezado a disfrutar también de descubrir los laberintos de los programas de project management como Asana y las automatizaciones de make.com y de N8N",
"fr-FR": "Je suis journaliste avec plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans le jeu vidéo et la technologie. Bien que ma spécialité ait toujours été le jeu vidéo, j’ai commencé à prendre plaisir à explorer également les méandres des outils de gestion de projet comme Asana, ainsi que les automatisations avec Make.com et N8N.",
"it-IT": "Sono un giornalista con oltre 30 anni di esperienza nei videogiochi e nella tecnologia. Anche se la mia specialità è sempre stata il videogame, ho iniziato a divertirmi anche a scoprire i meccanismi degli strumenti di project management come Asana e delle automazioni con Make.com e N8N.",
"ja-JP": "",
"nl-NL": "Ik ben een journalist met meer dan 30 jaar ervaring in videogames en technologie. Hoewel videogames altijd mijn specialiteit zijn geweest, ben ik ook begonnen te genieten van het verkennen van de ingewikkelde wereld van projectmanagementtools zoals Asana en van automatiseringen met Make.com en N8N.",
"pl-PL": "Jestem dziennikarzem z ponad 30-letnim doświadczeniem w grach wideo i technologii. Choć moją specjalizacją zawsze były gry wideo, ostatnio zacząłem również czerpać przyjemność z odkrywania zawiłości narzędzi do zarządzania projektami, takich jak Asana, oraz automatyzacji w Make.com i N8N.",
"pt-BR": "Sou jornalista com mais de 30 anos de experiência em videogames e tecnologia. Embora meu foco sempre tenha sido os videogames, recentemente passei a gostar de explorar também os labirintos de ferramentas de gestão de projetos como o Asana e das automações com Make.com e N8N.",
"social": {
"email": "jesus.bosque@softonic.com",
"facebook": "",
"twitter": "",
"linkedin": ""
}
}
View all posts by Jesús Bosque
