Sony Sparks Outrage Amid Ending ‘Physical’ Video Games

At the beginning of this month, Sony announced on their blog that they will be discontinuing production of physical game discs for new games releasing on their PlayStation consoles in January 2028. 

“In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only,” said Sid Shuman, the Senior Director of Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications.

When video game publishers like Sony sell game licenses only through digital platforms, or release in-store versions that simply contain a download code, some worry it could harm the gaming industry. Critics believe this could worsen sales for brick-and-mortar stores while making it impossible for consumers to resell their games or collectors to possess physical titles.

Additionally, it has raised concerns that consumers will not be able to truly own what they purchase because there are examples of digital licenses having been revoked from players’ accounts without a monetary refund. This poses a problem for gamers who don’t have reliable internet access, which digital games require in order to verify license ownership. 

While it would seem that digital games should be cheaper than purchasing a physical disc, considering that there is a lower cost of production, the opposite is often true. One example of this is the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, which is currently available for pre-order without an option for a physical disc, yet it still retails for a steep $79.99.

According to GeekWire, “physical media in video games represents $1.9 billion in consumer sales” even though physical media sales reached an all-time low in 2025. Sony’s move also comes in light of major gaming platforms introducing pricey subscription services and gaming becoming more expensive overall due to high memory chip demand.

Although Sony is attributing this decision to “consumer preference,” gamer reactions are telling a different story. The announcement post garnered nearly 9,000 comments at the time of this article, and fans overwhelmingly expressed dissatisfaction.

“There goes any reason to buy a PS6. If you won’t let me own my games, I’m not going to stay in your ecosystem. So long, Sony. It’s been fun,” wrote one commenter.

“Who in their right mind is gonna drop 80 bucks on literally nothing? You’re basically paying for temporary permission to play a game until they decide to pull the plug,” wrote another commenter.

On social media, the backlash was even stronger. Several big name companies made posts poking fun at Sony. On X, the Spanish account of KFC posted on July 2nd, “BREAKING NEWS: KFC will stop offering its physical format starting today. Its products can only be consumed through its app in fake PNG format.” 

KFC then made another post satirizing downloadable content, games on pre-order, subscription models, Virtual Private Network (VPN) restrictions, and piracy concerns. They also posted a meme video that garnered thousands of likes. Other brands like Domino’s Pizza UK joined in on the parody posts as well.

Although the Playstation 5 does include a physical disc drive, this move indicates that the Playstation 6 likely won’t. Sony has not announced a release date for their newest console, however reports by VICE suggest that it could come as soon as 2027.

Some wonder if Sony’s competitors like Microsoft and Nintendo will follow suit and cease production of physical discs. The Microsoft Xbox current generation feature options both with and without disc drives, while the Nintendo Switch 2 maintains a commitment to physical cartridges.

Since the announcement, Sony went quiet on their social media accounts for a full week. Only yesterday did they finally make a post, albeit unrelated to the disc announcement. It was quickly flooded with more angry comments.

According to an article by The Verge, Sony has already repurposed their disc factories. However, fans remain hopeful that Sony will reverse this decision, and a petition has received over 200,000 signatures.