Straight off the back of news that the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita digital storefronts will be shut down by July 2027, PlayStation has also confirmed that it plans to wind down all production of physical PlayStation game discs starting January 2028.
The company says that the decision to cease all physical disc production for PlayStation consoles – for both first party and third party games – is a “natural direction” in response to changing consumer trends. The move won’t affect any games already released or released prior to January 2028, but for everything following that date, digital will be the only option both on the PlayStation Store and at retail.
One can only assume this means a huge discless push for the next iteration of PlayStation console hardware.
Here’s the news straight from the PlayStation Blog:
Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles
As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.
This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.
We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.
Born into the world of video games through SEGA, and in particular Sonic the Hedgehog, Kieron’s gaming tastes now consist of the latest, shiny AAA thing, an indie darling or two, and an embarrassing number of hours of Balatro.