Last Update 07-04

PlayStation Officially Announces: Physical Disc Production to Cease from 2028

A relic of a bygone era. Sony has officially announced that PlayStation is making a full transition to digital, and starting January 2028, it will cease production of physical game discs for new releases. From then on, players will only be able to purchase digital versions (including digital redemption codes) through the official store or retailer channels.

Image via VGV MEDIA/Shutterstock, copyright belongs to the original owner

According to yesterday's news, physical game sales now account for only 3% of Sony's revenue. This strategic shift has been foreshadowed: the PS5 Pro, released in 2024, already removed the built-in disc drive, and major titles like GTA 6 have also confirmed they will skip physical releases. This not only marks the end of the collector's era but will also deal a heavy blow to the second-hand "resale" market.

PlayStation Key Changes Summary

🔹 Physical disc production ends: January 2028 (digital-only purchases thereafter)

🔹 Impact on existing stock: Already released physical discs and new titles before 2028 are unaffected

🔹 Industry trend: Nintendo is beginning to introduce "digital code cartridges"

🔹 Old console store closure reminder

Yesterday, Sony also confirmed it will permanently shut down the online stores for PS3 and PS Vita. While previously purchased content can still be downloaded "for the foreseeable future," no new digital products will be available for purchase after that. U.S. players are urged to complete any "last-minute purchases" before the deadline.

PS3 / PS Vita Store Closure Timeline

📍 Select global markets: Closures begin as early as August 2026

📍 U.S. region: Officially closes in July 2027

Following the news, the gaming community erupted in shock. Well-known gaming bloggers have voiced their criticism, and many players have accused Sony of completely disregarding the desires of collectors. Numerous gamers argue that physical discs are the only safeguard against digital license revocations and permanent library lockouts, and that abandoning physical media is Sony's most damaging decision to its core fanbase to date.

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李剑

: It explains that the PS6 will be released in 2027, because at stores like Walmart, they will definitely stock PS6 physical games before PS5 physical games run out. Games should use cartridges like the PS Vita, which can be used on both consoles and handhelds. Optical drives have no real advantages other than making the console larger and heavier.

1 天前

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Kenzzi

: Honestly, I don't mind at all. As long as they implement a refund policy for digital games even after downloading and playing them, there's no issue. They really need to learn from Valve on this.

07-04

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KMRK

: Dafa is about to start practicing the "Sunflower Manual" on its own

07-04

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自来也

: The second-hand game market and rental services have disappeared. Electronic stores can form monopolies to seize greater profits 💰

07-04

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蛇虎牛猪

: Although I basically don't buy discs—putting one in the console sounds like a plane taking off—there's no need for an all-or-nothing approach. Why not raise the price of physical discs, or release limited edition physical copies, while lowering the price of digital versions? This way, it would satisfy both collectors and those who resell games. Otherwise, it's inevitable that many customers will be lost. I just can't figure out this issue.

07-03

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Kenzzi

: Finally getting rid of physical game discs! Every time I want to play a different game, I have to swap discs. So annoying. I've been hoping for this change for a long time.

07-03

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嘘小心买老婆还没发现

: If there's no physical copy, I'll switch to Steam... Even the Super Robot Wars series, which someone like me, an old-timer, plays, is on Steam now...

07-03

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dvd123456

: Sony continues to be exclusive, doesn't release physical games, shuts down PS3 and PSV stores, deletes 500 movies, and the PS6 will cost a thousand dollars. It seems like it's self-harming.

07-02

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鱼丸周吃鱼丸玩鱼被鱼丸玩

: So the plan to pass down your game collection to your kids has fallen through?

07-02

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螺丝瑁

: What console to buy? Build your own PC with Steam OS for true 4K gaming—it's absolutely amazing. The reason a digital library works on PC is that your game collection isn't affected by hardware upgrades, and the experience only gets better. In contrast, on the PS platform, how many digital games bought on PS4 can still run on PS5? Even if they can run, the performance and frame rates are no different from those on the PS4.

07-02

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