Sony’s decision to stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games may be controversial, but Ampere Analysis senior games research analyst Piers Harding-Rolls believes the shift was probably unavoidable. With next-generation hardware costs rising, he argues Sony must find ways to keep its future console business financially viable without pricing too many players out.
In brief:
- Sony will discontinue physical disc production for new PlayStation games starting January 2028.
- Piers Harding-Rolls says the move toward digital was likely inevitable.
- He warns that launching a console around $1,000 would significantly restrict its potential audience.
- The January 2028 cutoff could provide Sony with a clean transition into the PS6 generation.
Sony’s Move Away From PlayStation Discs Was Likely Inevitable
Speaking to Edge Magazine, Harding-Rolls said Sony abandoning physical releases for new games was something he believed was always going to happen.
One reason is economics. Physical games require manufacturing and distribution, while digital sales allow Sony and publishing partners to retain a greater share of revenue. Sony has officially confirmed that physical disc production for all new PlayStation games will end in January 2028. Games released before that point, including titles already scheduled for disc releases, will not be affected.
Digital downloads already represented roughly 80% of Sony’s full-game software sales during fiscal 2025, highlighting just how far purchasing habits have shifted toward digital distribution.
Keeping PS6 at a Reasonable Price Could Be Crucial
Harding-Rolls also pointed toward rising component costs as a major challenge facing future consoles.
“If you come to market with a device that is $1000, you are starting to limit your audience quite significantly,” Harding-Rolls said. His point was not that PS6 will cost $1,000, but that Sony needs to find a viable price while maintaining the scale traditionally expected from the console market.
Dropping a built-in disc drive from a base PS6 could be one way to reduce manufacturing costs. Harding-Rolls previously predicted that the standard PS6 model would not include a physical media drive, although Sony has not officially announced the PS6 hardware or its specifications.
Harding-Rolls described the January 2028 cutoff as connected to generational timing, suggesting Sony could view the beginning of its next console cycle as the right moment for a clean transition away from new physical releases.
