Sony Confirms Physical Discs Are Dead: All New PlayStation Games Digital-Only From 2028

Sony has reportedly confirmed that starting January 2028, all new PlayStation games—first and third-party—will be digital-only, sparking massive backlash from physical collectors.

Well, it's official—or at least as official as it gets. Sony has doubled down on killing physical discs, and PlayStation fans are not happy about it.

According to a report, Sony Interactive Entertainment's Japan/Asia representative confirmed during the October 2026 launch of the Midnight Black PS5 in Japan that starting January 2028, all new games in the PlayStation ecosystem—both first-party and third-party—will completely stop physical disc production. From then on, games will only be available through the PlayStation Store and authorized digital platforms.

This isn't the first time Sony has dropped this bombshell. Back in July 2026, the company already made the plan public, and it triggered over three months of "NoDisc NoBuy" protests and petitions. But this October statement is being widely read as the final word: despite a petition with over 335,000 signatures, Sony hasn't backed down or left any room for discussion. What stings even more is that Sony reportedly issued "strictest-ever" social media guidelines to employees, banning them from publicly discussing the controversy. Former God of War writer Alanah Pearce said that's the kind of move a company only makes when it's bracing for a massive PR crisis.

Players have also pointed out that Sony reiterated in emails that digital games are "licensed, not sold." In other words, you're paying the same money but only getting an access license that can be revoked unilaterally. An IGN poll with over 24,000 participants found 91.2% of players clearly opposed to scrapping physical discs. Even former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has spoken out against it, estimating that the 20% of physical players are "the core of the core" and posing a question Sony can't easily dodge: "If you don't own it, what exactly are you buying?"

So, after 2028, new games will be digital-only. Can you live with that? Are you accepting the inevitable, or are you sticking to "no disc, no buy"? Let us know in the comments.