Sony to end PS5 physical game disc production in January 2028 amid backlash

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has commented on Sony's recent announcement that it will end support for physical game discs in 2028. Speaking to Gamerbraves, Yoshida said he "didn't know they were planning that." He said he feels for people who want game discs, but he believes it’s not “such a big issue” for many people because they already need to download patches, DLC, and updates. "Even with physical disc games, in most cases, developers are constantly updating and adding game data anyway. Anyone who chooses to purchase a physical version will still need to download new patches, DLC, or updates. So, not having a disc, I don’t understand if it’s such a big issue," he said. For fans of physical media, Yoshida said it "would be a shame if physical games were no longer available to collect." In regard to how the end of physical game discs could impact pricing, Yoshida said "the digital price point can be anything." One industry expert said part of the reason Sony is killing off physical game discs is to exert more price control and make more money generally. The end of physical game discs would, in theory, have a significant impact on the secondhand market, too. “For those people who choose to buy or sell games, the lack of discs may become an issue,” Yoshida said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY Sony's announcement about ending support for discs might make business sense, but it's upsetting a lot of people and prompting concerns about game-preservation issues, among other things. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, for his part, said there are "plus and minuses" to the end of physical media, but overall he thinks it's not a big issue.  “There are pluses and minuses, but we think it will not disturb too much the industry.” Sony is ending support for physical game discs as it also faces uncertainty around when it may release the PS6 and how much the console might cost due to the ongoing memory and component shortages. Gaming has gotten more expensive than ever in recent times. Here at GameSpot, we're spending a week covering the ins and outs of the current landscape, and offering insights into how you can play more while spending less.

"Discs used to happen on PS5".It's now been well over a month since Sony's shock announcement, in which it confirmed that it would no longer be manufacturing discs for PlayStation platforms starting from January 2028.The immediate backlash was strong to say the least, and although the outrage has certainly started to dissipate across the last few weeks, Sony's numerous social media accounts are still being bombarded with criticism, regardless of what the company's posting about.Read the full article on pushsquare.com

There is no stopping Sony's all-digital future for video games. I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but the company's decision to kill off physical game discs in 2028 and effectively turn the PlayStation Store into the only place in town where you can grab a new PS5 title won't be stopped by an endless barrage of memes in the replies section. Like Thanos preparing to snap the universe into a 50% discount on life, it's inevitable. Sony has said as much in recent comments, carefully tiptoeing around the subject with polite, investor-friendly language and stats that seemingly reinforce the plan, as the company said that 82% of games sold during the April-June quarter were digital sales. We've written about the topic, how it's the end of an era, why people are so (justifiably) upset, and the response from some of the biggest names in the industry, but now is the time to look forward and focus those energies where it counts. If Sony wants to increase its profits and sell games in a digital-only format, then it also needs to ensure that the consumer process is safe and fair, because it'll have healthy competition from other platforms. And one way it could do that is by taking a page out of Steam's book, as Valve's digital platform helped usher in an end to physical PC game sales decades before Sony was catching flak for following in those footsteps. Sony needs to protect its customers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY&t=30s It's high time that Sony built a game-refund system for the PlayStation Store. The company has been slow to adopt one of the most basic forms of consumer protection, and outside of incredibly rare instances like Cyberpunk 2077 and Concord, you've been out of luck in case you bought a game that working as advertised. That needs to change, and Sony shouldn't just emulate Steam's process for refunds--buy a game, play it for less than two hours, or own it for less than two weeks and you can claim a refund--but improve on its entire storefront as well. One major way that Sony could make using its storefront better would be by focusing on discoverability, because right now, the front page is dominated by a mix of first-party releases, free-to-play games, and upcoming AAA releases. Curation is desperately needed, especially for the smaller developers putting out the kind of in-between content that helps fill the gap between big releases. Sony has made an effort to cut down on slop through its marketplace, sweeping low-effort trophy-farming titles out the door, but it needs to focus on balancing big-name releases with smaller games that deserve to be in the spotlight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOWq-zO-5t4 This shouldn't be too difficult either, as with all the data it collects on players, having a program that generates recommendations based on your gaming habits should be feasible. Throw in more user-friendly options like a rewards program--RIP PlayStation Stars--kill any plans around dynamic pricing, and you've got the start of a healthy marketplace to herald in the next PlayStation era. A specialized focus and consumers with more investment in the storefront is an easy win for everyone, and if Sony wants to pioneer a digital future for console gamers, then it owes them the best possible experience.

In case it was ever in doubt, it seems Sony is not backing down from its controversial decision to stop manufacturing physical disc-based games. It appears a notice is being shipped with new PS5 consoles that have disc drives to warn users that, as announced, PlayStation will cease to support physical media at the beginning of 2028. Read more

The writing is on the wall for PlayStation and its plans for an all-digital gaming future--or on the PlayStation 5 packaging, to be exact. With Sony ending the production of game discs in January 2028, the PS5 manufacturer has reportedly begun to slap warning stickers on restocks of its console, informing consumers that games will only be available in a digital format 17 months from now. Spotted by YouTuber Behind the Games--who says the console was purchased by a "trusted source" they know--the sticker includes the following disclaimer: "From January 2028, newly released games on PlayStation will be available for purchase on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital format only. Discs for games released before January 2028 can continue to be played on this console." The sticker looks legitimate--and Behind the Games has uploaded a video of it since then--as the same text can be found on the listings for PS5 consoles through European Amazon storefronts, likely so that Sony can comply with consumer laws in that region. https://twitter.com/BehindTGames/status/2085059320694100095 The company's decision to no longer offer a physical version of PlayStation games has been met with significant backlash so far, with many users calling for a boycott of the company and constantly replying to social media posts with calls for Sony to reverse its decision. Despite the ongoing campaign, Sony is still moving ahead with its plans, with Sony CFO Lin Tao commenting on the backlash during a Q&A session for investors this week. Tao acknowledged that the announcement had been met with "strong views," but she said that Sony would continue to "cautiously" proceed. The company has in recent months noted how the ratio between physical and digital game sales has only widened in recent years, and in the last quarter (covering April to June), 82% of its game sales were digital.

Important notice.If its recent earnings call wasn’t already evidence enough, Sony is not backing down on its decision to stop manufacturing physical games in January 2028.Proving it’s had this move in the hopper for quite some time, eagle-eyed gamers have noticed a new disclaimer on the box of disc-based consoles, hitting retailers now.Read the full article on pushsquare.com