Sony announces end of PlayStation physical disc production

3 hours ago 3

Published Jul 1, 2026, 8:36 AM EDT

Announcement implies PlayStation 6 will be digital only

Graphic: James Bareham/Polygon

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced Wednesday that it will stop making physical game discs for PlayStation "as consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital." Sony says it plans to discontinue manufacturing physical discs for PlayStation games in January 2028.

New PlayStation games released after January 2028 "will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only."

"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," said Sid Shuman, senior director SIE content communications, on the PlayStation Blog. "This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."

Sales of physical software accounted for just 3% of PlayStation sales in 2024, according to Sony's 2025 corporate report.

Sony's announcement arrives just days after Rockstar Games' controversial decision to release Grand Theft Auto 6 through digital stores only. GTA 6's physical edition will include a download code in a box. It's unclear if Sony will abandon physical retail altogether, or if, like Rockstar, it will still sell game boxes with PlayStation game download codes included.

According to analysts, full-game digital sales now account for "80% of PlayStation software sales and 90% on Xbox." Recent gaming console hardware price hikes are making digital-only consoles much more attractive to price-conscious consumers. A PlayStation 5 with a disc drive now starts at $649.99, while Microsoft's Xbox will soon cost $799.99 if you want an optical disc drive.

PlayStation's decision to end physical discs comes as digital sales are on the rise, and the retail presence for dedicated gaming stores like GameStop shrinks. GameStop has reportedly closed more than 1,300 store locations over the past two fiscal years. Publisher Capcom said in its most recent earnings report that digital sales make up 93% of all game sales, with that percentage expected to rise to 94.5% this year.

News of physical PlayStation game manufacturing ending in just 18 months will be a blow to physical game collectors and preservationists, however.

Sony's announcement about physical games ending comes alongside news of the PlayStation Store ending support on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.