The day we’ve known for years was coming has finally arrived – or its arrival has been announced. From January 2028, Sony will not release physical disc versions of any PlayStation games.
Coming shortly after Rockstar went digital-only with its GTA6 pre-orders and taking advantage of the latest avalanche of studio layoffs and price hikes doing the rounds, Sony is the first of the big three platform holders to rip the band-aid off a wound first inflicted back in the PS3/360/Wii era on consoles, when digital distribution changed the game on console.
Still, two decades to prepare is little comfort to players who prize the genuine, physical article. This is an end-of-era-level event. With digital media licenses being revoked, games getting unceremoniously pulled from storefronts, and Game-Key Cards acting as codes-in-a-box in disguise, it’s easy to understand the frustrations, even if you went all-digital with the Switch generation.
Nintendo’s transition to a single handheld hybrid console in 2017 made a digital library make more sense. It’s easy to switch discs or carts if you’re at home with your games on a shelf, but who wants to carry them all when you’re out and about? The tiny Switch carts made this less of an issue, but the boon of having your library with you at all times — plus frequent eShop sales — helped sceptics feel better about forgoing physical.
