The disc is heading for the loading screen.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced it will stop producing physical discs for all new PlayStation game releases from January 2028, marking another decisive shift in gaming’s relentless march towards an all-digital future.
The move reflects changing consumer habits, with digital downloads now comfortably outpacing physical media. For Sony, the writing has been on the wall for years. Now, the disc is finally being shown the eject button.
The announcement comes just days after Rockstar confirmed that the hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI will also launch without a physical disc.
For an industry once built on midnight queues, collector’s editions and shelves stacked with shiny boxes, the future is increasingly one of downloads, cloud libraries and instant access. Game on; discs off.
Sony is not abandoning the high street altogether. The company says it will continue selling games through physical retailers, although exactly how remains unclear. One likely option is boxed editions containing download codes instead of discs, all the shelf appeal, none of the spinning plastic.
The message is hard to miss: the future is digital, and the humble game disc is coming close to its final boss battle.
