In his view, this is similar to when PCs moved away from mandatory CD (and later DVD) drives.
Sony recently announced that it will stop producing physical game discs in 2028. Daniel Ahmad, a gaming market analyst and director of research and analysis at Niko Partners, tweeted that this is not the first time this has happened. He made an apt comparison, claiming that this was a foregone conclusion for Sony. Digital sales of full games now account for the overwhelming majority of PlayStation and Xbox sales. Ahmad also pointed out that this change is not merely driven by market factors but is rather a platform-driven effort by Sony to extract more money from individual users, which the company’s leadership says will be a top priority in the future.
Sony earns more from the sale of a digital game on its own marketplace than from the sale of a retail game, which emphasizes the company’s shift away from PC ports. As console prices continue to skyrocket in the wake of the “RAMpocalypse,” Sony is seeking additional ways to focus on hardcore gamers who are willing to spend more than ever, even if that means alienating players unwilling to switch to digital gaming. When asked whether the negative backlash might change Sony’s course, Ahmad was unsure.
It’s more like Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops starting in 2008.
There were definitely a high number of complaints at the time, but not a single person is complaining about it today. You couldn’t find many people complaining in the early 2010s either.
The first… https://t.co/BahlYTUABe
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 9, 2026
“It’s like when Apple started removing CD drives from its laptops in 2008. There were a lot of complaints at the time, but no one is complaining about it today. You couldn’t find many people complaining about it in the early 2010s either. This time, a new laptop will cost $5,000, but my old one with a disc drive works just fine. If not the PlayStation 6, then the PlayStation 7. The truth is that the console ecosystem is almost entirely digital at this point. I’d say it’s unlikely, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up clarifying certain aspects. Regardless of whether we’re talking about bringing back physical products or embracing digital products, the conversation needs to shift to consumer rights and what a license should enable. Stop Killing Games was one part of it, but gifting, family sharing, refunds, and other aspects are just as important,” wrote Ahmad.
Our PC still has a DVD drive, and it’s hard to imagine a plug-in alternative for the PlayStation 6, as Sony is phasing out physical game discs. This move was also driven by the declining value of physical games. We probably all remember the first time we opened a box and found only a download code inside or had to wait a long time for the game to install.
Source: PCGamer
