Sony Stands By Ending PlayStation Discs in 2028

Sony has confirmed it will proceed with ending production of physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028 despite ongoing fan backlash.

Sony acknowledges community opposition to all-digital shift. Chief financial officer Lin Tao addressed the backlash during the company's earnings call on July 31. She stated the company put in a lot of thought and time and cautiously considered the decision before concluding it would cautiously move this forward.

Tao noted that the company has received various opinions and that people have strong views on the matter. She added that Sony understands the community has put forth those views and that games are loved by many people as a form of entertainment connected to fond memories.

Digitalization cited as primary reason for ending physical discs. Tao said the biggest factor in the decision is that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing. She emphasized this trend applies not just to PlayStation but to all kinds of content.

The plan to cease production of physical discs for new PlayStation games by January 2028 was announced earlier this month. Sony has already begun repurposing its disc-manufacturing headquarters to work on optical microlenses instead.

Physical game sales represent small share of Sony revenue. Sony's latest quarterly earnings report shows that physical games earned the company just over $781 million in the 2025 fiscal year. That amount is a fraction of digital game sales at about $6.5 billion and in-game purchases at about $8.4 billion over the same period.

Analyst questions focus on retailer and hardware differentiation impacts. One investment analyst pressed Tao on how the end of discs will impact Sony’s relationship with retailers. The analyst also asked how Sony will continue to differentiate the PS5 and upcoming console hardware from gaming PCs if both are all-digital devices.

In response, Tao pointed out that publishers will still be able to ship empty boxes with codes inside to stores in markets like North America. She argued that PlayStation hardware will win on affordability.

Fan protest planned for mid-August. Some players are organizing a week-long blackout of PlayStation content in protest. The action is set to start on August 23.