07/03/2026
SONY
📀 Sony pulls the plug on PlayStation discs
The Rundown: Sony will stop pressing physical discs for all new PlayStation games starting in January 2028, ending three decades of boxed console releases as the company goes all-in on digital.
The details:
Every new title after the cutoff will be sold digitally only via the PlayStation Store and third-party retailers.
Sony says that digital downloads made up 85% of full-game sales on PS4 and PS5 in its most recent quarterly results, versus 15% for discs.
It’s part of a larger trend: GameStop has reportedly shuttered more than 1,300 stores over the past two fiscal years as game buying moved online.
Sony announced it’s also winding down the PlayStation Store on PS3 in select markets this year, with global PS3 and Vita store closures to follow in 2027.
Why it matters: The announcement landed days after GTA 6 fans discovered the game’s “physical” edition is just a download code in a box. With Sony now formalizing the disc’s death, players will keep paying $70 or more per title — but for a license that can be revoked or delisted at will, with no disc to resell, lend, or keep.
CREDIT R TECH
