Anything released after 2028 will still be digital-only.
Sony’s decision to abandon physical game discs may have elicited a “not everyone liked that” response from the gaming world, but there is some small consolation for game developers. As reported Game fileSony has shared a private message to PlayStation developers and publishers stating that they “will still be able to place orders for existing PlayStation disc games.”
Sony’s post on the PlayStation Blog mentioned that the discontinuation of physical game discs would have “no impact on games already released or that will be released before January 2028 in disc format”, but this latest report makes it clear that publishers can still continue to order physical versions of their PlayStation games as long as they are released before the deadline. According to Game fileSony has said its disc ordering process will change, but has not yet detailed how. However, this is expected given that Sony has already reportedly invested millions of dollars in repurposing its disc factory in Salzburg, Austria, to manufacture optical microlenses.
Game file also reported that Sony said in its message to publishers that it would “offer publishers the ability to launch new games at retail using digital codes”, but has not yet revealed details. While this addresses gamers’ concerns about being limited to purchasing games through Sony’s online store ecosystem, the overall loss of physical discs is still expected to have major implications for the industry.
