The end of an era, a potential fatal blow to video games as physical media, and a hint of what’s in store for the PS6? Also: PS3/Vita online stores scheduled for shutdown.
While making the remarkable decision, I hope they have consider those of us here in Africa with poor internet connection, where ISP sells data at an outrageous price. Downloading a 100Gb of game can probably take you some days.... If not weeks
Seems short-sighted, as people are turning back to physical media so they actually own things and aren't at the whim of licensing agreements or just "we don't want to host this one any more".
Ridiculous state of affairs. Will have knock down effects on markets that aren’t heavy on digital like the Middle East and India. Not to mention the loss of jobs at retail.
another disappointing and short-sighted development from sony. not wanting to produce physical copies of their first-party titles is one thing, but as a platform holder, deciding to do away with a physical means of accessing games is downright irresponsible. other media hasn’t completely done away with disc drive access - they still sell blu-ray players, and i bought an external disc drive for my mac to rip CDs. i’ve seen more than one article lately about how physical media is becoming increasingly revered by the next generation. we will have to throw as many tomatoes as possible at sony for this… i know i’m among the outliers here, but i’d be happy even if i had to buy an external disc drive separately whenever the time comes to upgrade to PS6
Hasn't Sony just recently been removing licenses to movies from consumers due to them closing down their digital video storefronts? And they've got the gall to say they'll "stay committed" to preserving our access to older games? Yes, I'm sure they'll be happy to let us access old games... Or rather, full-price, next-gen ports of them.
Stephen, I'm curious how this news was distributed, because I saw it breaking across the internet almost simultaneously this morning. Did you get an embargoed press release or a heads-up? (I'm a former journalist so this stuff fascinates me)
Thank you for the thoughtful analysis of this important story, quite possibly the biggest gaming news of the year so far. I became a paid subscriber as a result.
Thanks for your support! In this case, Sony briefed me on it in advance yesterday and I spent the night working up a piece that explored the news from as many angles as I could think of. I think I may have been the only reporter they talked to? Not 100% sure.
Regardless, I wanted readers to get as much context as possible, so, yesterday, I was checking in with sources about the price of game discs, was pulling Sony data to make a chart showing the adoption of digital downloads vs. discs. Etc
So many questions, and you did a great job of hitting nearly all of them, Stephen! But for me, especially if the system is supposed to be backwards compatible with at least PS4/5 games - how, if they're on disc?
I really hope PS6 will have some sort of option for playing discs, maybe an external drive. I understand not producing physical games moving forward but it would be a shame to lose access to my existing library on the new machine.
I could see them selling an external drive or setting up some sort of rights management where you pop a disc into a PS5 and obtain a digital license for it. It'll be an awkward transition no matter what they do.
Your disc-to-digital licence idea is close to a framework we have completed: surrender one authenticated copy, issue one durable entitlement, preserve lending and transfer through exclusive reassignment, and retain redownload after delisting.
Published by Gizmo Create LLC.
Disclosure: This account is operated by Gizmo Create LLC.
Peak unique Game File insight, and the segue of the decade there at the end.
Have not bought a game disc since PS4, but hundreds of hard copy movies and shows in that time. A PS5 Pro with a 4K drive is the center of my home-viewing library -- which may become a vintage setup if PS6 is not offered with a drive. But I think it will, and I think movies and shows could continue to be "owned" in that way, even as games are not.
With Microsoft and Xbox planning mass layoffs and shutdowns to begin fairly soon, it would not surprise me in the slightest if the decision is made to follow Sony and PlayStation’s footsteps and cease production of physical discs for Xbox consoles sometime afterward. I would also expect some other third-party developers and publishers to do the same. Nintendo will likely hold off on this, however, though I do believe they may produce a version of the Nintendo Switch 2 with no cartridge slot as a way of cutting costs, with future consoles receiving the same treatment.
This is terrible news all-around. If there are any physical PS5 games you would like to add to your collection but haven’t gotten around to doing so, I highly recommend you buy them now so you don’t have to worry about looking at resellers marking them for higher prices than what they were initially sold at.
It honestly seems like an opportunity for Microsoft to win. What if they followed suit and cut physical production, but offered better consumer features like easier game sharing or an irrevocable personal license for digital purchases.
While making the remarkable decision, I hope they have consider those of us here in Africa with poor internet connection, where ISP sells data at an outrageous price. Downloading a 100Gb of game can probably take you some days.... If not weeks
Very sad, though understandable purely from a business perspective I suppose.
I'm still holding out hope for a return to the demo-disc era!
I miss buying cereal just for a demo cd
Seems short-sighted, as people are turning back to physical media so they actually own things and aren't at the whim of licensing agreements or just "we don't want to host this one any more".
Ridiculous state of affairs. Will have knock down effects on markets that aren’t heavy on digital like the Middle East and India. Not to mention the loss of jobs at retail.
another disappointing and short-sighted development from sony. not wanting to produce physical copies of their first-party titles is one thing, but as a platform holder, deciding to do away with a physical means of accessing games is downright irresponsible. other media hasn’t completely done away with disc drive access - they still sell blu-ray players, and i bought an external disc drive for my mac to rip CDs. i’ve seen more than one article lately about how physical media is becoming increasingly revered by the next generation. we will have to throw as many tomatoes as possible at sony for this… i know i’m among the outliers here, but i’d be happy even if i had to buy an external disc drive separately whenever the time comes to upgrade to PS6
You will own nothing and be happy. With no physical disc, one day you won't be able to download GTA 6 anymore unless it's a PC port.
Hasn't Sony just recently been removing licenses to movies from consumers due to them closing down their digital video storefronts? And they've got the gall to say they'll "stay committed" to preserving our access to older games? Yes, I'm sure they'll be happy to let us access old games... Or rather, full-price, next-gen ports of them.
What a scoop!
But one bit did stand out: I could absolutely go for another Sly Cooper game! What an awesome series.
Stephen, I'm curious how this news was distributed, because I saw it breaking across the internet almost simultaneously this morning. Did you get an embargoed press release or a heads-up? (I'm a former journalist so this stuff fascinates me)
Thank you for the thoughtful analysis of this important story, quite possibly the biggest gaming news of the year so far. I became a paid subscriber as a result.
Thanks for your support! In this case, Sony briefed me on it in advance yesterday and I spent the night working up a piece that explored the news from as many angles as I could think of. I think I may have been the only reporter they talked to? Not 100% sure.
Regardless, I wanted readers to get as much context as possible, so, yesterday, I was checking in with sources about the price of game discs, was pulling Sony data to make a chart showing the adoption of digital downloads vs. discs. Etc
So many questions, and you did a great job of hitting nearly all of them, Stephen! But for me, especially if the system is supposed to be backwards compatible with at least PS4/5 games - how, if they're on disc?
I really hope PS6 will have some sort of option for playing discs, maybe an external drive. I understand not producing physical games moving forward but it would be a shame to lose access to my existing library on the new machine.
I could see them selling an external drive or setting up some sort of rights management where you pop a disc into a PS5 and obtain a digital license for it. It'll be an awkward transition no matter what they do.
Your disc-to-digital licence idea is close to a framework we have completed: surrender one authenticated copy, issue one durable entitlement, preserve lending and transfer through exclusive reassignment, and retain redownload after delisting.
Published by Gizmo Create LLC.
Disclosure: This account is operated by Gizmo Create LLC.
The framework was designed by Akira Shinjo.
Well, shit. I mentioned a few months ago in a comment here that I refuse to buy anything digitally from Sony, because the company has a history of treating your digital "purchases" as their property, not yours. Just this week, corporate rights card-shuffling saw them take 551 movies from their Playstation store. Did you "purchase" that? Too bad, fuck you. (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/sony-erases-digital-content-from-libraries-were-reminded-we-dont-own-what-we-buy/)
Come 2028, seems like it's the end of the road for me and PlayStation. It's too bad; Sony have some amazing first-party studios and I'll miss them.
We've seen this play out before and I'm certainly not buying the Sony Ouya 6. Smart people study history, fools repeat it.
Peak unique Game File insight, and the segue of the decade there at the end.
Have not bought a game disc since PS4, but hundreds of hard copy movies and shows in that time. A PS5 Pro with a 4K drive is the center of my home-viewing library -- which may become a vintage setup if PS6 is not offered with a drive. But I think it will, and I think movies and shows could continue to be "owned" in that way, even as games are not.
With Microsoft and Xbox planning mass layoffs and shutdowns to begin fairly soon, it would not surprise me in the slightest if the decision is made to follow Sony and PlayStation’s footsteps and cease production of physical discs for Xbox consoles sometime afterward. I would also expect some other third-party developers and publishers to do the same. Nintendo will likely hold off on this, however, though I do believe they may produce a version of the Nintendo Switch 2 with no cartridge slot as a way of cutting costs, with future consoles receiving the same treatment.
This is terrible news all-around. If there are any physical PS5 games you would like to add to your collection but haven’t gotten around to doing so, I highly recommend you buy them now so you don’t have to worry about looking at resellers marking them for higher prices than what they were initially sold at.
I've asked Xbox about their position on discs. I'll keep readers posted if they reply.
It honestly seems like an opportunity for Microsoft to win. What if they followed suit and cut physical production, but offered better consumer features like easier game sharing or an irrevocable personal license for digital purchases.
They can go fuck themselves.