Sony Interactive Entertainment announced it will discontinue physical releases of new PlayStation games. Starting in January 2028, all new titles will be available exclusively in digital format.
Games will be available for purchase through the PlayStation Store or via digital codes sold by retailers. As a result, 2027 will be the last year in which new PlayStation titles are released on disc.
At the same time, owners of physical copies have no reason to worry. All games released before 2028 will remain on sale, and consoles equipped with disc drives will continue to play previously purchased discs.
Sony said the decision comes as most PlayStation users already prefer buying games digitally. The company plans to focus on expanding its online ecosystem rather than spending resources on the production, packaging and distribution of physical copies.
Nevertheless, for many gamers, this will mark the symbolic end of an era. Disc collections, memorable box art and trips to the store for a new game will gradually become a thing of the past, much like audio cassettes and CDs once did. Vinyl records, however, unexpectedly made a comeback. Whether game discs will get a second chance remains to be seen.
