Playstation kills the physical disc – and the second hand games market

From January 2028 there will no longer be physical game discs made for Playstation. For some this might not sound like much but it’s a fundamental shift in the games “ownership” process, and yes – its one we should have all seen coming.

Playstation say that “As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028.” 

The shift is already happening. GTA VI which releases later this year will ship to those who purchase in retail with an empty box, no disc inside, just a download code.

For Sony, “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. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.  

And they would know exactly how many discs are used vs digital downloads.

The real impact here isn’t gamers with the cash to buy new games, sure they will miss the cataloguing of their games on a shelf and the physical artwork on each.

But for those who wait for the second phase of a game, when the early adopters have finished the game, when they move onto their next game and they take their games in for trade-in or sell them online.

Buying second hand games is an economy, cynically you might say it’s an economy Sony and the games studios don’t have any skin in the game of, but for the everyday gamer it means no more browsing through bins of pre-owned games for a title you might just want to have a crack at.

RIP the physical disc.