Updated
Updated · The Game Business · Aug 20
PlayStation to End Disc Manufacturing in 2028, Pressuring PS5 Publishers to Go Digital
Updated
Updated · The Game Business · Aug 20

PlayStation to End Disc Manufacturing in 2028, Pressuring PS5 Publishers to Go Digital

3 articles · Updated · The Game Business · Aug 20

Summary

  • January 2028 is the cutoff for PlayStation disc manufacturing, leaving publishers less than 18 months to shift PS5 buyers toward digital purchases.
  • Ampere data cited in the report shows physical sales still matter for some PS5 titles and markets: family games like Astro Bot and story-driven releases such as Resident Evil and Assassin’s Creed retain sizable boxed audiences, unlike Helldivers 2 and Black Myth: Wukong.
  • France remains heavily physical while the US is far more digital, with the UK, Japan and Australia also still supporting strong boxed-game retail, making the transition uneven by country.
  • Capcom, Ubisoft and Sony are expected to use incentives and code-in-a-box products to avoid losing customers, with Grand Theft Auto 6's disc-free launch seen as a chance to normalize the switch.

Insights

Why is Sony forcing a digital-only future in 2028 when half of gamers in countries like France still demand physical copies?
As PlayStation's 2028 physical disc ban approaches, will your expensive digital game library vanish the moment servers inevitably go offline?
With GTA 6 skipping physical release entirely, is the gaming industry secretly plotting to kill the secondhand market before 2028?