Sony has announced that it will shift away from physical discs to digital only games from January 2028. The main reason for this change is that digital games is significantly outpacing physical discs. This means that the PS6 is very likely to be a digital-only console with no disc drive.
Naturally, this will be sad news for physical game collectors and those who prefer to own physical discs. Sony will end physical game production from January 2028, which means that physical game stores will sell digital game codes instead of physical copies.
The will not affect any games that release prior to January 2028.
The statement from Sony reads:
As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.
This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.
We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.
Source: PlayStation.Blog