Sony says it understands fan concerns over ending physical PlayStation game releases from 2028
Pop Culture & ArtAugust 02, 20261 min readPhoto: Sony
Sony has responded to criticism over its decision to stop releasing new PlayStation games on physical discs from 2028, saying it understands players have “strong views” about the transition but will continue with the move towards digital distribution.
The company announced in July that future PlayStation titles would no longer receive disc releases from 2028, prompting concerns from players who prefer owning physical copies of games.
Speaking during Sony’s earnings call on July 31, chief financial officer Lin Tao said the decision was influenced by the continued growth of digital content across the entertainment industry.
“There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing,” Tao said through a translator.
“It’s not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalization is progressing.”
Tao said Sony had considered the decision carefully before moving forward and acknowledged the reaction from the PlayStation community.
“To this decision, we have received various opinions, and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forth those views to us.”
She also recognised the connection many players have with physical games and the memories associated with them.
“Games are loved by many people. It’s a form of entertainment that’s loved by people, and it’s connected to people’s fond memories in many cases.”
Addressing concerns about retailers and the future of PlayStation hardware, Tao said publishers may still offer boxed products containing digital download codes in some regions.
Sony also said it believes PlayStation consoles will continue to be differentiated through curated content, a stable gaming environment and affordability compared with high-end gaming PCs.
“Compared to the high-end gaming PC, our product is more affordable. So we don’t feel that the disc itself is a strong factor for differentiation. Going forward, we can coexist peacefully with PC games,” Tao said.
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