If earlier’s announcement of the PlayStation Store closing for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita wasn’t enough, PlayStation comes out swinging with another sucker punch to physical media owners. Starting January 2028, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued. PlayStation will go full digital going forward and for any upcoming console releases. Another nail in the coffin for physical media.

Senior Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications had the following to say regarding the change going all digital:

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. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.

It does seem like Rockstar Games knew of this situation on why they went with a digital code in a box. For those hoping Grand Theft Auto VI would release a physical disc, don’t hold your breath after this announcement from PlayStation. This latest news doesn’t just hurt physical game owners but businesses like GameStop, Best Buy, and retro game resellers. This is another step that customers won’t own anything, especially after how PlayStation removed 500 movies from PlayStation user’s accounts that were already paid for due to “licensing agreements” with Studio Canal.

With these recent announcements from removing digital stores, removing purchased digital movies, and now physical media, how does PlayStation stay positive in the consumer’s eyes? At this point, Nintendo is looking like a better consumer experience with the game key cards, while yes it’s a code on a cartridge and not a full game, consumers can at least resell their games. Xbox could jump on this opportunity to claim they will preserve disc media but I wouldn’t hold your breath on this either as it’s likely they will follow the same path as the PlayStation.

After all these events from PlayStation, how do you feel where the company is going?

Source: PlayStation Blog