It’s official: PlayStation consoles are doing away with physical game discs for new titles starting in January 2028, making digital the only release format going forward.
Sid Shulman, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s senior director of content communications, detailed PlayStation’s plans for physical media in a terse PlayStation Blog post. He called the end of disc-based titles a “natural direction” for the brand.
You’ll only be able to buy new games digitally through the PlayStation Store or as a download code in a box that can be redeemed online. Shulman said the “transition has no impact on games that already released” and clarified that any title that was already planned to have a disc version will still be available as a physical copy, for now.
The one game we already know won’t be available as a physical copy is Grand Theft Auto VI. Publisher Take-Two Interactive has already confirmed that GTA VI will only be available digitally. More publishers will likely follow suit, meaning there will be fewer future releases with any disc version whatsoever.
PlayStation cited one reason for ditching discs: “general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs.” Mat Pscatella, Circana’s chief video game industry analyst, reported back in February that spending on physical video games reached an all-time low in 2025. The recent trends seem even more dire for fans of physical video games among PlayStation and Xbox gamers. Nintendo fans are still more likely to buy physical game cards, but the overall trends have ebbed by “double-digit percentages” across the other console ecosystems, according to Piscatella.
If you were still hoping beyond hope the inevitable PlayStation 6 would have an optical drive, this news certainly shouldn’t make you any more optimistic. Sony hasn’t offered many details about its next-gen console, though the mostly reliable leaker Moore’s Law is Dead previously suggested the next-gen console (and maybe even a handheld) will be backwards compatible with PS4 and PS5 games.
Without an optical drive, many gamers would ostensibly lack the ability to bring their library to their new console. Sony may unveil its new console next year, though with ongoing RAM shortage issues, some analysts expect the company could delay the “PS6” or any additional PlayStation-branded devices to 2028 or even later.
The transition to all-digital gaming implies gamers will be able to claim even less ownership over the games they buy. You won’t be able to sell your games or lend them to friends. Every purchase you make on the PlayStation Store is merely a license giving you access to that game on a console. Those licenses can be revoked.
Just last month, Sony told users that, starting Sept. 1, they would no longer be able to access potentially hundreds of movies they may have bought on the platform. The issue seemed to be a licensing deal with Studio Canal. Sony has not offered a statement on whether users will be reimbursed for their purchases on the platform. PlayStation has removed movies from users’ accounts several times in the past. There is no guarantee that any digital title you buy will remain on your account in perpetuity.
