Sony will stop making physical copies of PlayStation games in 2028
Sony announced that from January 2028, all new PlayStation games will be available only in digital format, ending physical disc production. The company cites consumer trends, with digital downloads accounting for 78% of game purchases.
Sony to End Physical Disc Production
Sony has officially announced that it will cease production of physical discs for PlayStation games as of January 2028. After that date, new games will be available exclusively in digital format through the PlayStation Store and retailers. The company describes this move as a natural response to consumer trends, noting that digital downloads are increasingly preferred over physical discs.
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, digital downloads represented 78% of full-game unit purchases, up from 76% in fiscal 2024. Sony stated it will continue to focus resources on innovation in game access and provide choices for where players purchase new games.
Only Sony's subsidiary, Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation, manufactures PlayStation discs, so this decision marks the end of physical copies entirely. However, buying a digital copy does not confer ownership. According to PlayStation's terms of service, purchasing a product from PlayStation Store grants a personal license for private, non-commercial use, which is non-transferable unless local law dictates otherwise. This means the buyer does not own the product itself.
While gaming companies rarely remove purchased games from customer libraries, it is possible. In 2013, Valve removed copies of "Order of War: Challenger" from users' accounts after the game's servers shut down. Sony acknowledges such a move would be unpopular, but the risk remains because the consumer does not own the product.
