Analyst Explains Why Sony Is Moving PlayStation Away from Physical Discs

Industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls views Sony’s planned shift to entirely digital distribution by 2028 as a natural step driven by the mounting costs of physical media.

Sony’s move to end physical game releases starting in 2028 continues to spark debate among players. While many fans hoped the company might reconsider, analysts see the transition as inevitable.

Harding-Rolls noted that moving to digital-only releases was merely a matter of time. Physical editions demand extra spending on disc manufacturing, logistics, and retail distribution. In contrast, a digital model allows Sony and publishers to retain a larger share of revenue, while every PlayStation Store transaction generates a platform fee for Sony.

The analyst also pointed to rising console manufacturing expenses. If a PlayStation 6 were priced around $1,000, it would severely limit the hardware’s potential audience. As a result, Sony is looking for ways to boost ecosystem profitability ahead of the next console generation.

Harding-Rolls described abandoning discs as “generation planning,” suggesting Sony chose to make one decisive shift rather than maintaining two separate distribution models.

Source: iXBT.games