SONY SET JANUARY 2028 END DATE FOR NEW PLAYSTATION DISCS
Sony announced it will stop making PlayStation game discs for every new game starting in January 2028.
The company made the announcement on July 1, 2026, saying physical disc production will end for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles. After the cutoff, new games will be sold digitally through the PlayStation Store and at retailers.
Sony Interactive Entertainment laid out the plan in a statement on the PlayStation Blog. “As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028,” the company said.
Games already out on disc, and any released on disc before January 2028, are not affected.
Why Sony said it made the move
Sony framed the decision as keeping up with players. “This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” the company said in a statement quoted by CBS News.
“This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today,” Sony added.
Reuters reported that digital downloads made up about 80% of Sony’s full-game software sales in fiscal 2025.
The broader numbers tell a similar story. Circana’s Mat Piscatella said U.S. spending on new physical video games hit just $1.5 billion in 2025, the lowest since Circana began tracking it. Spending on physical games peaked at $11.6 billion in 2008, he said.
Sony also said it will keep giving players options. “We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store,” the company said.
What it means for players
Shoppers will still see PlayStation games in stores after the cutoff, but not on discs. BBC News reported that games sold in shops will come as digital codes instead.
That has analysts worried about the used-game market. CNBC reported that analysts saw the policy as potentially cutting into consumers’ ability to trade, lend, resell or buy used PlayStation games. Digital games cannot be traded or resold the way discs can.
The shift is a big one for a brand with deep disc roots. CBS noted the first PlayStation arrived in 1994 as a gray console with a CD-ROM drive. PlayStation 5 is the latest model the outlet identified.
CBS also reported that analysts expected Grand Theft Auto VI to be the most lucrative entertainment-industry launch ever, a reminder of how big a single game release can be.
Sony’s PlayStation Blog post still states that disc production for new PlayStation games will end starting in January 2028.
