Sony has announced that from January 2028 it will entirely stop the production of physical discs for new PlayStation games. From that point onwards, new releases will only be available in digital versions from the PlayStation Store and other retailers. Games released before January 2028 will still be available on disc.

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

The move follows the recent announcement that Grand Theft Auto VI’s physical edition will only be a download code in a box, which prompted a quick backlash from fans. While digital copies of games have some obvious advantages, they deny buyers any resale value, make it harder to share games, and leave players reliant on ongoing access to console servers and accounts to access their games.