What you need to know
Alinea Analytics estimates physical PlayStation games generated under 20% of new-game premium revenue in 2026, though some single-player titles sell strongly on disc. Rhys Elliott says backlash comes from a small but high-spending group, and criticizes Sony’s messaging and lack of a transition path.
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Sony announced that it was no longer going to be producing physical discs for PlayStation games from January 2028, which sparked intense backlash online, with many gamers rallying against the decision by citing ownership rights being taken away from consumers, along with the reselling market disappearing.
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Online, it seems Sony has quite an issue on its hands, as seemingly millions of gamers are upset about the discontinuation of physical discs. However, Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, writes the backlash is coming from a “vocal minority of a revenue minority,” who still spends a lot of money on PlayStation. Elliot broke down PlayStation’s physical game revenue in his October 20 newsletter, where he wrote that physical games released in 2026 generated over $655 million, “well below 20%” of total premium revenue for new games.
However, Alinea’s estimates show physical share varies wildly from game to game. Pragmata and Onimusha: Way of the Sword sold around 44% of their PlayStation copies on disc, and Marvel’s Wolverine pulled 32.3% of its PlayStation revenue from physical sales. Why are physical games still so important to Sony if most players have moved on? Sports games are where digital dominates: Alinea estimates physical copies made up just 8.9% of EA Sports FC 27’s PlayStation revenue and 4.6% of NBA 2K27’s, as many sports players buy digitally for Ultimate Team modes and digital deluxe perks.
- Read more: Resident Evil Requiem made almost twice as much money from PS5 discs as from all Xbox copies
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What will happen to existing PlayStation disc collections after Sony stops producing game discs in 2028?
Sony’s January 2028 cutoff applies to discs for new PlayStation games. “PlayStation games out before 2028 can still get disc reprints” reports that earlier games can still be reprinted, but these reports do not say whether existing discs will remain playable on future consoles.
How could Sony’s 2028 disc cutoff affect PlayStation game ownership and resale?
Sony’s plan to stop producing physical PlayStation discs in January 2028 has raised concerns that buyers will lose a physical ownership option and the ability to resell games. The backlash centers on those concerns, though the story does not establish exactly how existing disc collections would be affected.
What kind of off-ramp could Sony offer PlayStation players who still buy physical games?
Why do Japanese consumers continue to favor physical PlayStation games?
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However, things swing back toward physical for single-player AAA games. Elliott says the backlash comes from a minority, but that it’s “a minority that spends a lot of money on PlayStation,” and notes Japanese consumers in particular still strongly prefer discs. Elliott believes the economics of going digital make sense for Sony, but says the company handled its July 1 announcement poorly. “The issue’s been with messaging and giving players a proper off-ramp from physical.“
