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Sony announced yesterday that it plans to finish physical disc production of recent games by January 2028, fueling more rumors of its next console launch. From the earliest days of game consoles within the 80s, there have nearly at all times been some type of physical media containing game files. These mostly began in the shape of a cartridge, some early primative systems utilized readable paper or plastic cards, after which the dominant media for the last 30+ years has been optical discs, whether it’s CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-Ray (from single to triple layer), and it now appears that an end is in sight for those as well. Sony has at all times been cited as a source of the success of the Blu-Ray format because it included a BD drive with the PS2, but as times are changing, it’s now planning to formally abandon the format.
Per a brand new press release, Sony has announced that it would not offer physical disc releases for brand spanking new games as of January 2028. At that time, games can be available through its PlayStation Store and other retailers in digital formats only. Sony has iterated that this variation is not going to affect any present releases or those launching as much as the deadline.
“This can be a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the overall preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today. “
– Sony
This announcement has led some to take a position that Sony will not be planning to launch its PlayStation 6 console until no less than January 2028. It’s also possible that the PlayStation 6 can be the console manufacturer’s first hardware generation to be digital-only exclusive. Each Sony and Microsoft have been producing digital-only models and have seen notable sales despite models featuring physical media drives still being very fashionable amongst consumers, but trends proceed to point to the digital-only models gaining ground. One side effect of Sony’s 2028 deadline is that it could find yourself being the ultimate nail within the coffin for the optical media format, which has been on a serious decline because the explosive growth of streaming services and online digital platforms over the past decade.