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Sony has no intention of backing down from its decision to end production of discs for new PlayStation games. The company has confirmed that from January 2028 new releases will be available exclusively in digital form. The plan has met opposition from some gamers and game developers, who still see value in physical editions. Despite the criticism, Sony is continuing preparations to move to digital distribution. New PlayStation 5 packaging already carries notices informing customers of the forthcoming change.
Sony prepares the PS5 for a fully digital future
Packaging for recently manufactured PlayStation 5 consoles has carried a warning about planned changes to game distribution. Sony states that from January 2028 new PlayStation games will be sold exclusively in digital format. This applies to both the PlayStation Store and to retailers, who will offer digital versions of new releases. At the same time, the company notes that discs for games released before January 2028 will still be playable on the console. Similar notices have also started appearing on the pages of stores selling the PlayStation 5. Sony is therefore making it clear the plan has not been abandoned despite critical reactions. Some players have even organised the #PSBlackout campaign, urging others to stop buying PlayStation games digitally and to cancel PlayStation Plus subscriptions. The opposition stems mainly from concerns about losing physical media and control over purchased titles. Sony’s own studios have not widely commented on the decision, though Naughty Dog had previously indicated it does not support this direction. The company does not intend to change the timeline. Sony Corporation chief financial officer Lin Tao said during the latest earnings call that the decision had been carefully considered. According to him, the main reason is the ongoing digitisation of content, which includes not only games but also other forms of entertainment. Sony also says it will roll out the change cautiously and take the gaming community’s feedback into account.
Digital games raise concerns about users' rights
One of the main arguments of supporters of discs is the question of actually owning digital games. When buying a title from the PlayStation Store, the user does not receive it in the same sense of ownership as a physical copy. PlayStation itself reminded users of this recently in a notice about updates to its terms of service. The document states that the software is licensed to the user, not sold. That means a digital purchase is linked to the granting of a right to use the software under specified terms. The new terms also include a provision allowing PlayStation to remove all digital games from an account after three years of inactivity. This issue has further increased the concerns of those opposed to the move away from physical releases. A disc remains a physical medium that can be stored, resold or reused on a compatible console. With digital purchases, the user is dependent on the infrastructure and the rules governing a given ecosystem. Sony argues that digitisation is the direction of the entire entertainment market, not solely a decision about PlayStation. The company also emphasises that it understands players' emotional attachment to physical games and the memories associated with them. That does not, however, change the plan for new PlayStation games to move to digital distribution from 2028.
Sony is sticking to its plan to end production of physical discs for new PlayStation games as of January 2028. The company is already placing notices on PS5 packaging to warn customers about the forthcoming change. The decision has been met with protests from some gamers, including the #PSBlackout campaign. Sony explains the strategy by pointing to the ongoing digitisation of the market, but it will still have to face further criticism over the digital model of game ownership.
source: flatpanelshd
