Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Aug 15
Former Square Enix Exec Sees Lower PS Store Prices After 2028 Physical Media End
Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Aug 15

Former Square Enix Exec Sees Lower PS Store Prices After 2028 Physical Media End

3 articles · Updated · Eurogamer.net · Aug 15

Summary

  • Jacob Navok said Sony’s shift to all-digital PlayStation releases from January 2028 could push PS Store game prices lower through more frequent sales and dynamic pricing.
  • Navok argued publishers—not storefronts—set digital prices, so stronger competition among games on one store creates more pressure to cut prices than rivalry between stores like Steam and Epic.
  • He pointed to Final Fantasy 16 on Steam, where pricing slid over time, as evidence that direct title-to-title competition can drive discounts on a digital platform.
  • Sony announced on July 1 that all PlayStation releases, including third-party games and retail code-in-box versions, will go digital-only from 2028, and new disc-drive PS5 consoles now carry a notice about the change.
  • The pricing argument does not address wider concerns over digital ownership and the loss of a physical option, which remain central to criticism of Sony’s plan.

Insights

Will Sony's 2028 digital-only mandate actually slash game prices, or is it a clever trap to kill the second-hand market forever?
Could the death of physical PlayStation discs in 2028 trigger a legal showdown over digital consumer rights and true game ownership?
If you only license games instead of owning them, what happens to your entire PlayStation library when the servers inevitably shut down?