Sony Discusses Future of Physical Discs With Publishers

PlayStation may adjust its plans to phase out physical game editions starting in 2028, as Nippon Ichi Software’s head has confirmed discussions with Sony and stated that the company is taking player feedback into account.

Kenzo Saruhashi, head of Nippon Ichi Software and president of NIS America, discussed PlayStation’s plans at PAX West and how they affect the publisher, for whom physical and especially collector’s editions remain an important part of the business.

According to him, NIS currently has the same information as the general public, but the company does not plan to voluntarily abandon boxed releases.

A large part of our business model, especially in the case of NIS, is based on creating physical limited editions, and this is very important to us. For our part, we intend to continue preparing such editions and providing the quality that our customers expect from us.

One potential option after Sony stops producing discs could be boxes containing download codes for games. The head of NIS confirmed that such a scenario is possible, but talks with PlayStation are already underway.

From our current conversations with Sony, it appears that a lot of customer feedback is reaching them. While we may end up going down that exact path, it is possible that the discussion will change in the future. Therefore, we need to see where all of this leads.

Sony previously gathered opinions from publishers and players regarding physical editions. However, the company has not yet announced any changes to its plans.

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