According to The Verge, Sony will halt production of physical discs for new PlayStation titles in 2028. Existing games already on disc will continue to sell that way, but every new release after January 2028 will ship digital-only or in boxes containing only a download code.
This formalizes a shift players have watched happen gradually. Physical discs were the last real check on platform power. A disc could be shared, resold, traded, or kept indefinitely without asking Sony for permission. A code in a box does none of that. Sony gains absolute control over pricing, licensing, and the ability to revoke access.
Publishers have 18 months to decide whether premium "physical" editions with codes inside are worth the shelf space. Players will answer faster: if a $70 box with a code feels like a product or just packaging.
Sony is following the market, but it's also cashing in on the part of digital players hate most: a closed store with total leverage. Discs were never just nostalgia. They were insurance. A code in a box keeps the shelf pretty and strips out the rights.
Filed to the Technology desk · Jul 1