Disc out on PlayStation: Sony seeks developer opinion
After announcing that it would no longer produce physical games for the PlayStation from 2028, Sony faced massive criticism. Now a survey of developers suggests that the company is considering a change of course.
Sony seeks feedback on disc output
Sony has announced that it will stop producing physical discs for the PlayStation from January 2028. After ongoing protests from players and collectors, the company is now apparently sending out questionnaires to external developers, similar to Microsoft. The aim of the survey is, among other things, to capture the mood regarding the planned purely digital sales model. Some observers see this approach as uncertainty on Sony’s part and a possible first step towards a change of course.
The decision for a purely digital future for the PlayStation is based on current sales figures. In its most recent quarterly report, Sony recorded an 85 percent digital share of game sales. Eliminating discs would reduce production costs and increase the company’s profit margin. At the same time, this would deprive users of the opportunity to buy or sell used titles, which explains the ongoing resistance among players.
Like Leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead in a recorded Live stream on YouTube explains, according to insider sources, the aforementioned list of questions to the developers is more extensive than almost all previous surveys that Sony has sent out in the past. The teams are apparently supposed to assess, among other things, whether the end of physical media poses a problem for future publications.
Physical games remain in demand
One reason for possible uncertainty at Sony could be the sales figures for current titles. The new action game Marvel’s Wolverine from Insomniac Games sold around 1.9 million times on the PlayStation 5 in the first three days. Around 23 percent of the revenue came from the sale of versions on disc. This corresponds to sales of over 30.5 million dollars (almost 27 million euros). According to analysts, the physical share of the older title Astro Bot from 2024 was even over 45 percent. Astro Bot is joined by other games with high physical sales such as Ghost of Yotei with almost 38 percent disc share and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 with around 35 percent.
These figures make it clear that a significant proportion of customers continue to buy data storage media. Smaller studios in particular have expressed concerns about purely digital distribution in the past. For them, physical collector’s editions are an important source of income. Large companies like Rockstar Games, however, seem to support digital change. Grand Theft Auto 6 only contains a download code in the physical version packaging, but no disc.
Return to the disc is unlikely
It is still very unlikely that Sony will actually adjust its plans. The company continues to operate pressing plants for optical data carriers, which would allow production to continue without any technical problems. However, a change in strategy shortly before the long-planned implementation would be unusual and probably involve enormous costs. For many disc fans, hope will still die last.
