Sony Knows How You Feel About No More Discs, But It's Not Going to Reverse Course

That’s cool, I’m not budging on ditching ps plus and not buying non exclusives on PS5. I’m not alone either.

"Okay campers rise and shine and don't forget your booties because it's cold out there"
"It's cold out there everyday"
"That's right woodchuckers it's"
GROUNDHOG DAY!

They've been planning this for long and they refer to all the data to support their plan. They may go low profile for a while but eventually they'll do what they want because the whole industry, and many lazy customers, are going towards it...

"We hear you, but we don't care about you."

Won't be getting a ps6, just going to switch to PC if it's all digital moving forward. No longer have to pay for online and games are cheaper. Already created an epic and gog account and just been stacking all the free games from epic and Amazon prime.

I have been playing video games since the 80s.
And to see them stripping away content (instruction manuals, free online play, physical discs, et cetera), fun, excitement and innovation for convenience, trends and profit over the last two decades or so has been frustrating and depressing.

If you like an all-digital future, that's all right. I'm content as well with all the games I've played over the last 4 decades and there are still awesome games out there to find and play and lots of alternatives to explore.

But for me I have to say I won't follow the next generation of gaming consoles anymore.
And to be blunt, there are other and more important things in life anyway.
Just my two cents. God bless.

You mean the hashtags on Twitter didn't work?

I can't even easily see my owned games in an easy to browse format on anything other than a console. And even on my PS5 ever since they took away the text I can't even tell what a lot of the games are (my eyes!), or split what I own vs what's PS+. My physical collection somehow is easy to browse though. And I can re-sell them! And gift to my kids if I died

"It’s not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalisation is progressing."

You know, except films still have DVDs and blu-rays, music still has CDs and vinyls. Hell, even papers still exist. But games? Nah, don't need that, the margins aren't good enough, right?

I remain comfortable in my position: I won't be getting the PS6, and every single third-party game I'll buy on PC. I'll get Laufey and Intergalactic physically next year, then I'll wait of The Last of Us 3. After that, I'll be done with the brand.

@AlexPorto in fact, unless I’m getting my facts wrong, the overall sales of physical games is overall higher compared to physical DVDs, vinyl etc.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

I have also spent a considerable amount of time and put a lot of thought into it, and came to the conclusion that the PS5 will be my last Sony console since Sony is embracing the all digital model. Come to think of it, even if I had stopped at PS4 I would still be happy to keep playing PS4 games for a long long time. Once I clear all of my backlog going back to the Atari 2600, I may reconsider!

@Swandivetotheasphalt @Splat No, they don’t, and I readily admit that. If PlayStation 6 is going to fail, it won’t be because of a hashtag, it will be because the product is undesirable. Given the online backlash is still going on (and I don’t expect it to really end at this point) Sony will need to do something to make PS6 desirable, because it isn’t going to be with price.

so a big 2 fingers n up yours to the gaming community from Sony. Nice to know we matter ......

You have to move with the times - and I'm that old that I understand that but, in this case, I don't wanna.

@hypnotoad or you could just move platforms. the master race welcomes everyone in open arms 😃

Interested to see how it turns out. I think the physical crowd will have a minimal effect especially if PC gaming gets even more expensive (as per Taiwanese news Nvidia may increase GPU prices by 20%).

This doesn't change anything. I'm still getting a PS6 and never going back to PC/Xbox gaming.
I dont let others dictate what I'm allowed to enjoy or where I play my games.

I still don't get it. What do they lose by allowing disc games and disc drives? Like since most people buy games digitally it's not gonna affect that anyway and it's not like they are actively losing money on physical sales either. They might be making less money compared to digital sales but it's still a good profit. Not to mention the stupid decision to announce this before mentioning any of their plans to allow the ability to play all the physical games that people already own and whose digital versions will still be playable on PS6.

Edit: one thing that also worries me about this digital only move is what's gonna happen to delisted games. Look at Driveclub for example. The only real way to play these games nowadays is physical. A lot of games with a lot of licensed music are like this. Heck even sucessful games get delisted.

If you want an expensive box under the tv to play digital games you are better off getting a gaming pc. Over the course of its lifespan you will save an absolute fortune on games.

I wish they would just acknowledge our physical libraries and tell us wtf we're supposed to do with them when the PS6 launches...

Don Mattrick: "Fortunately we have a product..."

Despite all the outrage, nothing significant will come of this decision, it will happen and everybody will just accept it and carry on as normal, which is primarily playing digital titles. the few that don't, and walk away to a different all digital format, fair play to them but they are so insignficant in numbers they won't be missed

That statement tells me they understand nothing about the ownership and access issues introduced by an all digital future.

Oh well. I have enough games already between what I have purchased or on my various wishlists across Vita, PS3 and PS4/PS5 to allow me to skip an entire generation and not want for things to play. Hopefully legislation or plummeting sales will force Sony to see sense on the digital ownership issues by the time PS7 rolls around.

@Bluemoon2008

All the the pc gamers making a big deal about this are hypocrites. Where was there protest when pc went all digital!?

@Balie3000

Keep your PS5. That way if there no disc drive addon you can use it.

Just don't support sony like you use to.let your money know.sony don't care.you should not also.my backlogs of games is huge.i got games who can last me years.and i got more games i didn't start yet.so it's all good. Word up son

@nomither6 I've loved all the platforms, mate.
Except 3DO - I was silly enough to spunk money on that one.
Oh and Virtual Boy !!!

@Balie3000 Presumably you should keep your PS5...? I usually sell one console to make way for the next (kept the PS3 because there was no back-compat) but if the PS6 has no drive at all, even as a modular option, I'll have to keep the PS5 anyway to play my Blu-Rays on.
Not that I'm currently planning on rewarding this stupidity by buying a PS6 anyway, but I'm open to PS trying to convince me by addressing my concerns about what all-digital looks like.

Well there you go. For the people that demanded some kind of statement from them, i hope this satisfies you. I never really understood on what kind of statement people were waiting for though, they weren’t gonna backtrack on their decision, so it was never really going to be any better than this

It was obvious they weren't going to reverse the decision just because a tiny entitled group are getting all angry about it.

Good luck with the week boycott! 🤣

@TheSingularity When does the whiners week start? If they are boycotting for a week can they boycott this site too?

@XenonKnight I'll only buy a PS6 when it costs £550 or less.

@TheSingularity What if I don't particularly care about discs (or cartridges or gamecards), but I do care about protecting customers from the increasingly monopolistic tendencies of the big media and tech companies? How is that "entitled"?

@XenonKnight The "PC" never went "all digital" because there is no PC platform holder. You could release a PC game on disc right now, it would sell like ***** but its entirely possible. In fact I can remember specific luxury "Big Box" style retro releases in the recent past. People did not rush out into the streets because it was allowed to happen naturally instead of being forced. The digital alternative just became better and better than sticking with physical releases. The Sony digital alternative is no where near competitive with current disc releases, the fact that I think only 29% of PS5 owners have the digital only version of the console speaks to that. People want choice they do not want to be completely tied down to one single means of obtaining a game which is exactly what we are going to get, no more shopping around for cheaper games, no more grabbing a second hand title you found going for a steal. No more nothing, its the terrible ***** PSN Store or its nothing. Get with the times Grandad I ***** hate video games and do should you lets GO!

***** me SNK is releasing AES+ carts of its original games in November that can be used in the updated hardware coming out at the same time or the original hardware.

@XenonKnight Funny you say this, as you're the one doing the most whining on this thread by far.

@TheSingularity You're so brave to defend the multibillion corporation from those entitled people that want consumer rights to be protected.

You go there and show them who's right!

It's funny how they always say, "we hear you, but we're still doing it. However we're going to do this cautiously..." yet give no plans or idea of what that cautiousness is. Always just lip service PR lol

That’s fine I don’t mind switching to PC

@XenonKnight it was there, most of us railed against the transition from physical to digital. The key difference is that PC gives you options when buying a game, you are not locked to PSN's pricing.

An actual example for a game out next week, Beast of Reincarnation.

PSN pricing (UK) £49.99
The Game Collection, physical purchase £42.99
Steam £49.99
GMG £43.99
CDKeys/Loaded £33.99

So I can waive my return rights on Steam for a massive saving, you can't do that with PS games, it is either PSN price or no game.

Advocating for the removal of consumer choice is insane. Yet here we are "Well I already buy all my games just from the PS Store and no where else so obviously everyone else has to just do the same."

Holy ***** I wish I had that sort of money I wish I had no bills to pay.

Which business has ever done this?! Sure they’ve changed small plans when consumers pushed back. But no business has ever abandoned a move as big as this because the public pushed back.

As I’ve stated is a previous article, complaints from the public will get a studio like Paramount to change the character design of Sonic The Hedgehog. But it won’t get a studio like Paramount to abandon the sale of the studio to Skydance. 🤷🏾‍♂️

"I'm curious what that final sentence really means"

Easy - the PS6 start up screen will be a very brief video of a disc being inserted into a PS1 - for nostalgia.

It's all just about money. Currently if i want to buy a game I go on vinted and buy one 2nd hand. I win as I get it cheaper, the seller gets money for the product they owned but poor old Sony gets nothing from that. I even get to sell it on afterwards and the cycle continues. Going forward you will have to buy a game direct from the PS store charged at a price that Sony decides. Like the World Cup just gone, like AI being developed, like all big business it's just about money and greed, power and control.

PS knows how we feel about these incessant articles but ""We're going to cautiously move this forward."

@hypnotoad come to the red side. Consoles are vaguely cheaper and they have key carts (and to think a year ago, that was the biggest physical ganes problem). Dylan was right; the times they are a-changin' 🎶

That’s fine, Sony. I’m going to be taking a cautious approach to buying new PS games - just so we know where we each stand! The more this news has sat with me, the more disappointed I am by it.

Again, the issue from all of this is nobody knows what the future holds. Since the announcement, they have not clarified how the ps store is going to evolve, what the actual relation to retailers will be (a comment on how North America gets code in a box does not really add anything), and if there is going to be a possibility of attaching a disc drive for backwards compatibility. They talk about how to engage with the community and players and such, but shouldn't they have figured that out beforehand?

It screams arrogance, and a deep misunderstanding of how the platform is seen online, because even the argument that the hardcore are a minority, these things leak into the mainstream, and overtime these things keep on piling up. It's like they do not care about the public image at all.

The entire "Oh discs no longer make enough money to warrant continuing to release" rings completely and utterly hollow when you have CEOs like Andrew Wilson taking away bonuses of 38 million. Its pales in comparison.

You think my working class broke self gives a ***** about how much money is going to be saved when the entire industry continues to spaff money up the walls on ill advised acquisitions, insane management pay cheques, marketing budgets and ballooning development times and costs.

Somehow this is my fault because I bought Saros from ebay for 30 quid instead of 70?

... And I will enthusiastically move away from PlayStation. You f-ed up, Sony. PS5 has been the saddest era of PlayStation by far. No more.

„We will cautiously stop all disc production and cautiously keep forbidding other disc manufacturers to print PS5 discs. And we will cautiously not change our mind.“

@Fyz306903 Your going to be waiting a long time because of ram cost.

Yeah that's fine, I'll continue to enjoy seeing everything Sony uploads on their social medias get battered to hell by outrage posts. I'll delight in joining in too.

I'll be done with next gen Playstation now.
As someone said in another article, I have so much of a backlog that I'll be happy for a fair few years yet.
I have a great collection of the physical and I intend to add to it.
Digital only or not.

@LemanRusk It's scary to me how willing people are to give up their consumer rights.

@Bingoboyop
Well they probably think that minority who buys physical games will swap to digital, so there is more profit for them.
I know I wont't.

@Mintie
(And anyone else who thinks when this goes ahead that there will only be the option of the PS Store)

Sony have already stated, in the original announcement that digital codes will be available to purchase from retailers. So this idea that you will be locked to the PS Store for purchases is just not true.

In answer to the fact that Sony provide the digital codes - yes, but from what I understand they manufacture all the discs now.

This will all be governed by anti monopoly anyway, and Sony's legal team seem on the ball.

(Edited for clarity)

Sure it's disappointing if you're a physical game fan but expecting a company to keep wasting tons of money on stuff the data shows time and time again people don't buy is just stupid. For all the "outrage" you see online almost no one is putting their money where their mouth is.
I don't fault Sony for staying it's course here.

"We're carefully considering in an all digital future how do we engage with gamers?!"...says the C.F.O.,in the only acknowledgement of the firestorm they created at an investor meeting!🙄😂

Uh huh...really doing well on that "engagement", with their customers/player base there!😋
As per Sammy's article on the PSN Store, (& realistically should include PS Plus improvements too), that despite claiming they've been considering killing physical for some length of time, says it all they seemingly couldn't be bothered formulating ANY plans to change the status quo of the PSN Store, PS Plus or addressing any questions with backwards compatibility of players physical libraries.🙄

"Plans? Oh yes, we'll sort that stuff out later!". Given this Playstation management's record this generation, can be sure the only "engagement" Ms Tao cares about is price gouging players wallets like never before!🙄

@Rich33 Honestly I hope that it does work out that way and as @Swandivetotheasphalt said you can buy PSN credit for a discount from sites like CDKeys.

If they had come out swinging with 'we'll no longer be a monopolistic ***** show', the backlash wouldn't be so bad, but they've been horrendous when it comes to this stuff in the past and their communications over the last several years have eroded most of the goodwill I used to give them.

The simple truth is I don't trust Sony to not try and screw everyone over. Which tends to be my stance with every large corporation.

how do we engage the gamers? Easy. By continuing to offer what's currently available right now, tangible game mediums that includes the game data on it. Part of the fun in gaming is knowing and feeling you bought something especially when it's an expensive title. It's fun to be able to afford Limited Edition of the games one looks forward to play. Something more than just you can see with your eyes, but also feel with your hands.

"Play Has No Limits" is a hypocrisy slogan indeed. Especially when soon it's going to be very "limiting" to actually own games by then. :/

@LurkerNoMore Ah yes wasting loads of money does sound like something Sony would not do, like funding and then shuttering Concord or buying Bungie then firing over half the staff. I can see why ending the continued production of discs would be so appealing...

765 million impairment right off.

@Splat We've got at least 17 more months of this, buddy.

@XenonKnight That's the plan... might upgrade to a PS5 Pro with a disc drive and skip the PS6

@LurkerNoMore better be wasted on something where physical copy enthusiasts can continue to engage on their platform rather than on failed live services that don't appeal to many of the playerbase.

The money is better "wasted" on something that at least give a sense of goodwill rather than be wasted on predatory software the playerbase didn't asked for.

Sony cares about purchasing behavior, not whining. Good for them. Don’t cave to the loudest and angriest voices who just pirate games anyways.

@hypnotoad 3DO was a banger! Guardian War was my first ever RPG

I cautiously considered it the day they announced killing physical games, and I'll cautiously avoid the PS6 moving forward.

EA, Unity, Microsoft and many other fundamentally evil companies are better at listening to clients than Sony. That's quite the achievement... Or should I say trophy?

The reason so many people are upset is because this move is dishonest and disingenuous. They did not need to cut physical discs so soon, and could have just let the medium carry on for those that want it, with it possibly dying off naturally.

This hard cutoff is a desperate move to trap people in its ecosystem. They can't control everything if physical media is keeping them in check. It's that simple. I honestly think this will backfire on them though. Enough people aren't as stupid as they hoped. Washing this stink off will be very difficult, if not impossible.

It's also been interesting to see the four of five same People's Digital Front accounts in the comments on Push Square blindly championing Sony's decision. I can only assume they are shareholders, bots or plants used for engagement baiting. Anyone with any sense can see this move benefits no one but Sony and their lackeys.

@Rezium Sorry mate but it was 700 quids worth of crap.

They know physical is profitable, but not as profitable as the monopoly they'll have once they've removed all other markets. It's estimated that FF7 rebirth sold 48% physical on PS5 (alinea analytics.) But they're still going through with it, because now they've cut out Ebay, Gamefly, Target, Bestbuy, Walmart, Amazon, and every other company that used to take a cut of their profits. They'll set the prices and their customers will pay the price (literally) so have fun in your closed ecosystem, I'll be playing somewhere else.

@Balie3000 Because of cost of ram, PS6 games are going to be crossgen alot longer.

@Northern_munkey It's almost as if expressing your opinion in a comments section isn't even considered by those at the top and is a waste of time....where have I heard people saying that before?

@Old-Red There’s people like me as well who have kids and a wife for 16 years.. I buy digital occasionally if there’s a good sale or if it’s a timeless game (GTA - Mario Kart - etc) but 95% of all of my games I buy either second hand, rent from GameFly, or I buy it day 1 and sell it for half of what I paid a week later.. if I cant resell my games or get them cheaper physically then there’s literally no reason for me to continue with consoles.. and I’ve been a PlayStation fan since the PS1 came out.. it’s disheartening but as others have said “gotta change with the times”..

That’s fine.. I’ll start saving up for a nice PC 🤷‍♂️ life goes on and PlayStation have lost a customer

If they aren't going to change course then neither will the consumer, hope they are prepared for a launch worst than PS3.

@Pat_trick that should be the motto of any big company , may I suggest adding "but please keep giving us money "to that

@XenonKnight see there is big difference here. PC didn't go digital the publishers just stopped releasing discs. Even now if someone wanted to release a disc and sell it you could still buy it and then buy a disc drive and play that game. That's a very different situation from what Sony is doing.

This has been my point. If the industry is going in that digital route then still offering the ability to use a disc drive changes nothing for them while at the same time allowing people who want to use discs the ability to do so and when the publishers stop releasing discs they take the heat.

@WolfyTn this too. It's similar to the piracy situation with PS1. The PS1 games being so easy to pirate was one of the main reasons Playstation became so prominent in the console space. That they are unaware of the entry point of the secondhand market for future generations and the way it helps them stay more relevant culturally simply shows PS are run by people who do not understand the market they are in.

@arto it's such a weird decision. Like if they don't want it to be the focus they can just release a external attachment that people can buy to use in their PS6s but a hard cutoff provides no benefits.

I continue to be flabbergasted by some of the comments here defending Playstation and digital-only with tooth and nail, calling the people that want discs "entitled". You do understand that having more choice doesn't hurt digital. right? It's not a "Us vs Them" thing, if people want to buy physical they should have the choice to do so. In fact it only helps digital by driving the prices down, once you only get one way to buy PS games, Sony will dictate the price they want.

"the digitalisation of content overall has been progressing"
Except I can buy physical media for all the other types, except Playstation games in 2028

Wow. I mean I already expected them to not reverse course but I did expect some kind of counter announcement but nah, they sh*t on us and expect us to thank them.

For anyone thinking they would distribute digital games as they did back with the PS4 they just confirmed they won’t, their only retail presence moving forward will be code-in-a-box for select games while monopolizing the PS Store, I just hope they face a mountain of legal challenges in every single market, if they’re unwilling to budge hopefully some regulator will go nuclear and force Sony to open the platform as they did with Apple, even if it upends their entire business, I even hope it does at this point, whatever hurts them the most.

@LurkerNoMore I don't understand how Sony wastes money by keeping physical around. Once a disc is printed and sold to the distributor the money has been made for the publisher and Sony. Whether that disc actually gets bought is irrelevant to Sony. You do realise that right? A farmer doesn't waits for someone to buy a vegetable in the market to make money.

Thats cool.. We arent budging on the backlash either.. PS6 is going to be a total flop. And I personally cant wait to watch them choke on their own stupid decisions.

@Bingoboyop Its all about margins.. they make a considerable amount more on digital purchases. Its all about greed.

@XenonKnight Won't just be me, though. They'll have to support the PS5 almost as long as the ps6, at that rate.

@Americansamurai1 I've been doing this for about 6 years. I have hundreds of games in my Epic account and have not spent a penny. Obviously varying quality, but some indie games that I've been meaning to play anyway, and there's also GTA V which is my first port of call when my Steam Machine arrives. Happy days! I don't miss my launch day PS5 since taking it to CEX one bit.

I love Playstation. I've loved it since it released in Japan - I got one the day after it released there and I've loved all of their consoles since but I've never been a fanboy. I go where the great games are.
I've loved Nintendo since the mid 80's and as long as they stay fizzical then I'll stick with them after Sony's digital only nonsense.

Roll on P6 , look forward to seeing it and no doubt buying it when it's a more comfortable price

It means no PS6 for me then. I should upgrade my PC and buy Switch 2 before 2028.

@Bingoboyop have they said they won't release an add-on disc drive for PS6 in order for gamers to utilise some of their legacy discs?

Serious and genuine question. I honestly can't recall hearing that?

Obviously it wouldn't be for new games, as production of new games on discs is due to stop. Obviously they won't sell a PS6 with an integrated drive either.

But has there been a formal announcement that there won't be some USB type external drive for legacy support? I don't recall reading that.

Regarding why producing discs is unaffordable, essentially the market shrinks and volumes drop below a level, where the fixed cost of producing the discs (workers wages, rent of factory/machinery, transport, opportunity cost) starts to be spread over a smaller and smaller number of discs.

Eventually the Unit cost per disc would increase to levels the market couldn't support, causing more people to go digital and the market to eat itself.

The factory and employees etc could be utilised to manufacturer something else that makes far greater profits.

@colt45z Meanwhile, I'll be buying PS6 day 1 if I can secure one, and kicking back and gaming on it for years while the sour grape brigade are busy choking on them.

@AnVold great plan Batman.

Buy a system that delivers less performance per dollar, lacks some of the best games in the industry, and still uses digital-only software.

How does that make sense?

I have an Ok-ish PC (RTX4080, 64GB RAM, 7800X3D) and still own a PS5 Pro which I use more than the PC for gaming.

If I had to choose, I'd keep my PC at it's current spec and use it just for productivity applications, and get the PS6 for gaming.

I.e. PS6 will be £1000, and I expect RTX6070TI to be around that price, with the RTX6080 at £1400.

I'm getting a PS6 every day of the week.

Cutting off your nose to spite your face IMO bud.

@Mintie
Whilst I agree that their communication has been pretty appalling in general over the last few years, in this case they did state how they were not going to monopolise the selling of digital games in their original announcement. I wouldn't expect further details on this specifically until much nearer the time.

@Dogbreath brother that's the point. If you are going to release something like that for legacy reasons then why bother with making a hard stop to begin with. If it can be used for legacy reasons, it can be used for future releases too. Think about what you are saying for a second.

As for the costs going up, why not let the publishers decide that. Why can't Playstation follow the pc route where the publishers slowly stopped releasing discs? It's not like there was a hard cut there, there is literally nothing stopping from a publisher to release a game on a disc for pc right now, unlike what sony is doing.

@Dogbreath
I have no earthly clue how some people, angry at Sony's decision to stop supporting discs, come up with the idea to move to an all digital ecosystem!

If anything, these people should be angriest with PC - that is where all digital started, and had PC not gone all digital years ago, Sony probably wouldn't be doing so now lol.

@TheSingularity good for you ai bot

That’s okay. I feel no need to change my no-more-digital-on-PS decision or my no-PS6 decision then. They’ll do just fine without my money.

@Rich33 If you genuinely don’t understand why PC digital gaming is different from console (especially Playstation) digital gaming, then you really should do some looking. The differences are very clear-cut.

@AnVold Before September’s Switch 2 price increase if you can manage it!

Whatever the outcome, we'll all vote with our wallets.
Or in my case, due to my mrs - with my pocket money.

And I ain't joking !

@Dogbreath thanks Robin.

The whole idea is to buy physical copies of games released before 2028 (my PS5 is ok for that), purchase new games on normal cartridges for the Switch 2, and "save money" on the rest by playing them on PC. In any case, I don't want to pay Sony for a product that doesn't align with my interests.

@dskatter I waiting for Lite version.

There's only one voice that Sony hears, and it's spelled S-H-A-R-E-H-O-L-D-E-R-S.

Seeing all these dopes say how they're going to PC because now they can't collect physical objects anymore is bringing me way more entertainment than it should.

You people realize PC is digital too, right? Right?!

@Johnnycide Sony is looking to post an extremely lucrative year, lol. You might not be alone, but you’re wildly outnumbered. All you’re really doing is robbing yourself of enjoyment to send a whimper of a message no one will ever hear.

"Play has no limit" eh, right Sony?

Since Sony will not change their mind then i'm sticking with my first plan: PS5 will be my last Sony console.

After more than 30 years with Playstation, kinda sad how i'm ending my journey with the brand in this dissapointing note. But i guess life goes on. Sony have decided to move on from their long time fans who loves physical games because they care more about money. So, i'll do the same. I'm sure for next gen Sony will do just fine without me since they have support from all-digital fans and Fortnite / COD / Genshin kids who's ready to spend $1000 for PS6 and happily throw $70-80 for a digital game on day 1.

If that's going to be the only way to buy games on PS6, one would hope the company will significantly bolster its digital storefront to make it a more robust, feature-rich, and appealing place to shop.

Lel. Good luck with your wish 🍻

“…one would hope the company will significantly bolster its digital storefront to make it a more robust, feature-rich, and appealing place to shop.”

Again, none of that matters in the slightest if we do not legally own and control our digital purchases.

What good is a more robust storefront if you are simply leasing digital code and Sony subsequently removes it from your account without your consent? Naysayers will argue ‘Have they ever done that?’ to which the answer is no, not yet. But they can. And that’s the point. As long as they legally have the power to do so, no one is safe and everyone’s consumer rights are simply waiting to be violated.

@Bingoboyop publishers don’t own the disc production facilities. Therefore, they’re not concerned with opportunity cost from producing a low volume obsolete item, when they could switch the factory to something vastly more profitable.

Those who own the factories will take a different view...

@tangyzesty You can't possibly be that dense to not realise the actual physical object is not what those commentators are bothered about losing. Its choice and freedom to shop where you want for the best possible prices and security. If you are being forced into an all digital future either way why the ***** would you remain on the PSN in the state it is right now?

Its called making the best of a bad situation.

The arrogance of Sony is astounding. 🤬🤬🤬

As long as there is a market for it, physical games won't disappear. Just look at music LP's, still thriving to this day.

I guess PC will be the main playground for physical enthusiasts going forward. If I was in charge of GOG I would get right in on the production side as their business model fits very well with this solution.

@XenonKnight "All the the pc gamers making a big deal about this are hypocrites. Where was there protest when pc went all digital!?"

I keep seeing this point of view in the comments on this site.

Did you take part in PC gaming at the point that CD-Keys began being included in physical PC games? Or when Half-Life 2 required Steam? It didn't go down well.

Personally I can’t wait for Sony to slap a price hike on digital content in 2028. Yeah, i know I'm just bitter but screw it.

@gameovermarty yeah wished I started adding them when epic first started it

Come on X-Box, change course and I'll make the jump!

@hypnotoad what about the “Vetrex” Console? Loved that thing and would lug’ it around to my best friends place all summer long!

@Perturbator Can you imagine GoG pushing the boat out and creating replica big box releases of Baldur's Gate or Planescape Torment. Full manuals and pack in maps, ahhhh the smell of a fresh box.

Feel like my posts on the matter have become a broken record. It's appears to me that maximising profit is the motivation at the expense of choice and actual ownership for customers, not some 'cautious' attempt to follow market trends. The marketing spin is really something. Once people are tied into digital they know they're less likely to leave their platform. For me its a definite point that their console has no appeal as something I want to own.

Ever since they announced the news, I haven’t felt the same for PS like I used to. Don’t feel any excitement for their future games. The God of War release date announcement was just a “meh who cares” moment for me. Went from being a hardcore fan to taking more of an interest in other hobbies instead and having a stronger interest with the Switch 2 (for now). Before the news I always loved every big game announcement from them and got super excited the digital only news left an awful stain I don’t care what they say or show anymore

@LemanRusk
A live service game like concord makes it's money back in spades if it succeeds. It's a risky but viable business strategy. Games like Genshin, Fortnite and Roblox account for like more half of all the money Playstation earns. So even after multiple flops it's no surprising they keep trying.
Physical games are just a lose-lose scenario. No one's buying them and it makes no money.

@Mikeg1965 Blimey. I had that too - spoiled brat.

I had Intellivision too and I remember me older bruv playing football (not soccer ) on it with me and saying 'It'll never get better than this.'
And he is the brains of the family.
Apparently.

@LurkerNoMore So losing millions gambling on the very slim chance that a hit might be forced into existence instead of nurturing one naturally by buying talent, forcing them to create a Live Service and then shuttering them when they inevitably fail is a viable strategy but printing discs is just burning money and no one buys them and its a dead medium.

Ok cool, great industry we have here yeah. Great stuff.

I can't wait until Jan 2028 😆 just get on with it now and get it done with already.

It’s a vocal minority that is upset, maybe the most loyal part of their fan base but still a vocal minority. I collect physical games but I understand where the industry is headed and it’s just a reality that physical collectors are a very vocal, very loyal minority. I’m sticking with PlayStation and it sucks that future great games I won’t be able to own. However, digital games can be preloaded and played right at release, PlayStation lets you set 1 console to primary so you can share your digital library with a family member or trusted friend( so a new game you can buy one copy and two people csn play it on separate consoles), the digital store sales will continue with great low prices to compete with newer games, and you’ll never have to get up to switch games out of the disc drive in the future. I’m just relaying some positives of all digital.

My dad used to tell me about using cartridges in his car stereo, I was using tapes in my fist car, then it was CDs and now we just plug in our phones or Bluetooth them. Time doesn't wait for no man, or woman.

@electrolite77
"Consoles used to have the advantage of cost, ease of use, convenience, physical games and exclusive games."

And they still do, except physical games from 2028, which personally I don't see as a major loss.

A lot people I know (in the real world) who used to game on PC have moved in the last year, mostly buying PS5 Pro's. The main reason given being that they were fed up with all the set up, updating, and compatability issues - 1 had to wipe his system twice and still had minor issues.
The other reason given a few times was the prolific online cheating on PC.

"on PC you have a multitude of storefronts to buy from"

And even after 2028, you will still have multiple storefronts to buy PS games from as retailers will sell digital codes.

Also, not long ago, after being fed up with keep hearing "how cheap PC is", a user here compared prices on steam (as the most popular storefront) to the PS Storefront of a large number of well known games. There was some back and forth but the total price ended up cheaper on the PS storefront.

I have seriously looked into moving to PC in the past, and certainly saw far more issues than gains, and that was after a massive outlay.

@electrolite77 Always funny to see the mental gymnastics people use to make PC the 'good' digital! And to those angrily pretending they'll build or switch to a pc, good luck saving money with that.

I can still buy movies on 4K in cool packages, often with digital codes included. I can still buy Vinyl, Cassettes and CDs for music, some of which comes with a digital version on Amazon as well. I can still buy actual, physically printed books, which occasionally come with digital versions.

All of the physical stuff can be sold on a second hand market or passed on when I die.

The all digital future is a corporate hellscape for customers and consumers.

Screw Sony and screw the PS6.

@Americansamurai1 I searched for a list of epic game store free games and i was shocked by how much great stuff was given for totally free! I sometimes feel a little stupid maintaining a ridiculously expensive playstation library.

“And so we understand those emotions. We want to consider that.”

And yet it’s taken them a month to even come out with just this. Why not tell us how you’re considering “that” Sony?

@zebric21 yeah I did the same, it's pretty crazy, but they got that fornite money lol.

Probably being "cautious" due to the number of anticompetitive lawsuits homing into view...

@For-Kier seeing as I managed to get a decent gaming PC before the RAM prices went mental I’m not really denying myself anything. If Sony want a future of online live service nonsense then they’re welcome to it. I’ll be sitting over here with decades worth of good games to play, on a machine I also use as a home studio. The PS5 can stay in the living room so the kids can play Minecraft on it.

@hypnotoad I had “Colecovision” instead of Intelevision. Good times!!! 😀

@Mikeg1965 I'm English so Colecovision passed me by but you're right - they surely were good times, mate.

And the least surprising news of the week goes to…

It's done, Sony aren't reversing course - cry and whine until the cows come home!! you're all pissing into the wind!

nonsensical to value these PR statements at this point in time. we won't know the true result for years. we'll see how the company feels about its decison after it negatively impacts its revenue. even if it only amounts to 5% in losses, that will result in hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially. at the very least, i expect a sizable reduction in software unit sales over this and sony cannot afford to lose that in an industry that is about to crash in on itself.

@TheSingularity i heard similar comments about sony's live service strategy 5 years ago — how the naysayers were wrong to boycott and have strong opinions againt it. turns out those of us who had some foresight were correct. sony failed on that front and it will fail once again here with its physical media decision.

@electrolite77
On this very website we had articles covering it. Last one I recall was one showing how most of Capcom's sales are digital.

@ManaOwls Absolutely wonderful comment.

@ManaOwls I don't think we're their target market - I'm of the same mind as you. what I can't work out though is who their target market is. I mean I've played video games for 40 plus years and even without this I doubt I'd be looking at a ps6 because I can't see a offering anything I guess aside from in a decade time when they stop producing PS5 games? but then if it's going to cost me over $1,000 for a console that ties me in to digital only content like others have said I'll cross that bridge and probably go PC. but there can't be that many serious gamers who are such big fans of Sony that they'll want to pay through the no's for this surely? and as for the more casual games, the ones we sell buckets like your cods your fortnite, whatever so many of them are already on TV sets. I just don't see what ps6 is going to offer for your average casual gamer who just wants this year's Black ops this year. this year's whatever sports ball game. maybe they want to move to a future where they can sell. AI generated what we would call slop because the vast majority of the casual market won't care. it just seems a really weird way to go. maybe it's a desperate before the next generation comes in to maximise what may end up being a limited stream of revenue?

I'd have thought for the more casual mass market a PS6 would be vast overkill in terms of what it does and what it costs. I'd honestly be less surprised if they went down some kind of streamed gaming experience or almost a dumb terminal that connects to a central server to play the game that way rather than trying to produce a new expensive piece of tech with costly components.

Two things I want to point out here.

First she says that they're going to cautiously move this forward, the word cautiously implies to me that they are not certain if ceasing physical media was the right decision.

Second, she said the reason they are ceasing physical media is because digitalisation is progressing. Didn't they say before the reason they are stopping making physical discs is because costumer preferences have changed? Now they changed the reason.

@XenonKnight you are asking this question 20 years late.

@Americansamurai1 that’s a good plan, I tried PC gaming like 12 years ago but I didn’t like not having my physical games plus I preferred than consoles were simpler. Now they are more of a nuisance as PC and will be losing physical games. I prefer giving another chance to PC gaming, there are more advantages than what the PS6 future is looking like.

Well, Sony won't change their mind.
I never changed mine, either.
I buy the games I like, how I like from wherever I like.
And I do not like this baffling and risky strategy.
Ergo I will not buy from them anymore.
They can have as many or as few customers they get.
I'm not planning to be one.
My backlog on PC is worth 10 PS6es of content.

So basically this was a “we have heard you but we don’t give a fųcķ, and we are only responding because an investor is asking”.

Why couldn't they have at least made that statement sooner, and to us the fans, not their bloody budget financial people. Regardless of how successful they are and how many people support digital they've never been so dis engaged from their fans, even through the PS3 era (and that was tough!)

@Krlozgod yeah this would be the first time I played on PC since the age of empires/sim city/ Diablo 2 days lol

@electrolite77
"As I previously said most of the advantages have gone"

Your opinion; And one which I totally disagree with - in fact, I think the advantages of console, specifically PlayStation, have only grown over the last few years. The loss of discs barely makes a difference to this in my opinion.

"The only vendor for PS games will be Sony."

This is complete rubbish.
Sony have clearly said (in the same announcement no less) that games will continue to be sold by retailers, just in digital format via a code. The various anti monopoly laws would not let them do what you are suggesting.

All Sony are doing is stopping the support of physical discs, which like it or not, are only bought in the minority.

You are quite entitled to your opinion, and any personal anger / disappointment over them stopping discs, but the day was always going to come when discs became unsustainable.
However, whilst you might have strong opinions on this, others don't, including myself. I am far more interested in other plans they have eg around digital, and for PS6 in general.
That said, I would prefer them to have an optional disc drive for PS6, for people to play their back catalogues using.

@LN78 there’s no use being logical with these types. They are clueless and I’ve yet to hear any of them offer one benefit to an all digital no ownership future. Sheep.

As I said before very stupid move to stop discs

If you have a physical copy of a game you can continue to play the original unpatched version of the game that was originally installed on the disc, providing that the full game was actually installed on the disc in the first place. With digital versions you can only play the updated version.

@Rich33 Sony has already gotten rid of all game code, and outside of an exception for GTA 6, Sony doesn't give any codes for there games to retailers. Various consumer groups have tried to take Sony to court about this and the cases have gone nowhere.

The best part about this is that when ps6 eventually launches and majorly underperforms, they will still assume it's because it's too expensive, because of Netflix and so many other things, completely ignoring the importance of good will.

That's what made ps5 successful in the first place. Good will from people who loved ps4.

Same with people commenting here. They already dismiss this without even seeing the actual impact, since there hasn't been a change this past month. As if everyone would magically cancel their ps + subs and sell their ps5s.

And we saw exactly what happened with xboxone. Yet some people learn nothing from history.

@Bingoboyop I think either Sony or a third part could/would create an external disc drive that will be able to just plug into usb and utilized this way. Examples such as how PC has external dvd/blu ray disc drives you can connect to use.

It's over, Sony are not the same company. It's just really depressing.

No respect or care, they waste millions chasing live service crap then close bluepoint and now this to pay for that blunder.

I played astrobot the other day, and now it feels less of a fun celebration of Sony but more of a depressing mausoleum.

"It’s not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalisation is progressing."

And yet Sony release a new vinyl turntable. They really are a bunch of tools.

I've never bought a PS digital game; all physical, and I've never subscribed to PS Plus and I won't be getting a PS6. So I, and many like me, won't be a huge loss to Sony as they've never caught us with our pants down. If others are looking forward to Sony rinsing them for every single penny the good for them.

The fallout to Sony's blunders for the last five years won't be known for 12-18 months at least. The Xbox One release was a catastrophe for Microslop that even today is only starting to show the full picture. Who knows what the future will bring. My bet is Nintendo will be on top the of traditional console model.

@Rodimusprime13
The reason why court cases have failed is that Sony only have to offer 1 alternative- at the moment this is discs.

I would think that this is what causes them issue at the moment. Discs are more expensive to produce (particularly in smaller numbers) and distribute, but they cannot increase their price over digital as they are the legal alternative. They are effectively subsidising the manufacturing of discs.

If they stop supporting discs, then they legally have to offer a different alternative. They have already, as part of their announcement, set out that they plan this to be digital codes sold by retailers. GTA6 will just effectively be a trial run for this future.

They have likely announced their planned alternative so early, just to show how they will be complying with anti monopoly laws.

Just as an aside, the timing of their announcement with GTA6 pre orders does not surprise me, as I would be very much surprised if they weren't doing a final test to see if people would accept all digital, and whether physical buyers would make exceptions. To be clear - it could be R* who wanted GTA6 to be all digital, but Sony will have the Pre-order pattern data.

The only exception to them having to offer an alternative is their own games. They are probably completely free to sell their own games via their store alone.
I don't actually know how they have managed indie games for so long - maybe it's because the devs / publishers choose not to use the alternative of discs.

@Rich33 I believe the issue is that Sony is going all digital primarily to keep the prices high and be able to push them even higher. Sony isn't like to continue to offer game cards and they aren't legally obliged to. Sony also implemented a 2 year rule that if you don't login for 2 years they wipe out your entire digital library. Since Sony has announced that they are ending all disc production any movie or TV shows will need to find another source, this is also the reason why Sony has given advance notice. Sony is barely releasing many games and the few that they do take years to develop. Sony is gambling that gamers will continue to buy PlayStation consoles to play COD and games like Fornite. Sports titles are already primarily digital.

@Bingoboyop this is all about eradicating the second hand market and lending. Every time someone buys a pre-owned game or lends to family/friends, Sony get absolutely nothing. Sony are probably expecting any losses from people leaving the ecosystem will be offset by people actually having to buy a game in order to play it.
Don't get me wrong I'm against any corporate decision that takes choice away from the consumer but this is about the least surprising development there is and I guarantee all other platform holders will follow suit in the near future.

i am surprised not seeing a lot of comments from gamers saying they are switching to switch 2 . you see tons of those comments all over youtube..

@Daft_Klebenflw but that's my point. If such a drive is gonna exist to facilitate older games then why even bother with creating a hard stop for physical games since that same drive could be used for new games too. Like all the tech is there. All the requirements will also be there except one arbitrary condition from Sony.

So there we have it, Sony hears you and doesn't give a crap about you. So people can either quit Sony or continue to buy their products. Myself? I'm not interested in the PS6, the biggest reason is a $1,000 console is not worth it. Also the fact that we have reached a point where the tech really can't get much better. Is there a massive jump from the PS4 to the PS5? Not really, and that is why we have seen so many cross gen releases since the PS5 came out. Also I am someone who buys physical when available as well. My biggest gripe for Sony is if they go all digital for the PS6 that's fine, but why for the PS5 when there are so many disc drives on PS5 systems? Seems really stupid honestly, but considering it's Sony I'm not surprised.

@Rodimusprime13 Sony going all digital will not “push prices higher” for new games. Prices aren’t set by Sony for 99% of available games. That not how it’s storefront works. Primarily they are doing this so they and publishers retain a higher percentage of each sale without having to split it with retailers.

Secondly Sony will not wipe your library or account if you don’t log it for two years. Stop spreading misinformation. All companies that operate in the EU need to accommodate local laws. In Sony’s T&Cs it’s 3 years + 6 months and they may close your account not will. It’s also been in t&c for 17 years already and all companies have some form of this clause.

@ShadowRJ You are largely correct. The PS6 launch success will depend on the same factors as all previous hardware launches before it. Price, launch line up and announced 1st year exclusives.
That said unfortunately hardware components have never been as disproportionately expensive as now, we’ve never had a generation where hardware has substantially increased over its lifetime. We may see a completely different strategy and platform holders forgo a traditional approach, lower sales expectations and opt for a far longer cross generational cycle.
A weak launch line up or high retail price will have far more impact than if the console contains an optical disc drive.

@ManaOwls “ there are other and more important things in life anyway”

It’s not that serious mate 😅

@Vertere Sony has literally said they want to keep prices high and they are likely to eventually push them higher. The TOS says after 2 years of inactivity that they will delete your entire PSN library. Not sure how that is going to work but likely any old inactivity accounts after the change will be deleted, likely.

@Rodimusprime13
I think you are listening to too many youtube videos / scare stories.
I'm not going to spend the time going through everything- I can see @Vertere has also answered you.

However, you say "Sony isn't like to continue to offer game cards and they aren't legally obliged to"

I don't know where you get your info from, but they are legally obliged to make available an alternative source of purchase (apart from for their own titles). This is covered in the various anti monopoly laws.
As I have said before, discs were this alternative, but if they stop supporting discs they are obliged to make available a different method.
They could for instance have allowed a different storefront, but they have chosen (ref the same announcement) to make digital codes the legal alternative source of purchase. They have yet to confirm full details of this but they have a year and a half to do so.

The main gainers out of this will likely be developers/ publishers as they currently do not benefit at all from the second hand market - only the second hand market benefits.
I also don't get why you think that game prices are not naturally due to go up. Game prices, which historically haven't kept up with inflation, haven't risen since 2020, despite very high inflation in this period. Development costs have risen at above inflation as well.
Developers hopefully gaining from this move, combined with the removal of the costs associated with the manufacture and distribution of discs from the system, could well lead to the delay or full/partial ofsetting of game price rises in the immediate future.
Sadly, you won't see logic like this from internet / youtube scare stories / reactions.

Sony have already shown that they think like this eg their forward planning of buying RAM, and their reduction in the SSD size for the base PS5 in order to delay/reduce necessary price rises due to massive increases in part costs.

Nothing will change this if people are ok with it.
One of my attractions to console was lending my nephew games or selling if they were crap. Ps5 will be my las5 console as I’m already switching to pc. Steam is far better.

@Rich33 What you have said is wrong Short answer: No, Sony is not legally obliged to provide game code cards (or physical discs) for PlayStation games. Current law in Canada, the U.S., and the EU does not require Sony to offer physical media or boxed download cod
obligation

1. Digital goods are governed by license agreements, not ownership law.
2. No jurisdiction mandates physical distribution of software.
3. Consumer rights apply to the transaction, not the medium (e.g., refund rules, disclosure requirements).
4. Regulators have not created enforceable rights to physical game ownership, despite public backlash. Above the Law

As you see Sony isn't obliged to offer physical games or digital codes for games.

As for game prices it's as clear as mud who actually sets the prices. Technically the publishers have the right to set the prices but they have to negotiate with Sony about publishing there games on their platform so Sony has considerable influence on how much games will be sold for. Sony didn't develop Dark Souls or Bloodborne but they acquired the rights to the games when they were published on there platform, somehow.

Sure for the PS6 games prices will go up to $90 cause hey you have no choice.

@Rodimusprime13
None of that is applicable to what I am saying.

It is anti monopoly laws that require (at least) a secondary source for purchase.
The secondary source needs to be like for like or better, and simply prevents Sony from having a monopoly on selling games on the system.

There is no stipulation on Sony as to how they need to comply - they could comply via for example physical discs, OR digital codes, OR allowing another storefront.
Or to put it another way, they are not specifically required to support any particular alternative to their store, but they have to support AN alternative.
At present they comply via physical discs sold by retailers, and they are changing that to digital codes sold by retailers as per their announcement.

@Rich33 That would only apply if a government body had declared Sony to have a monopoly on the PlayStation and that hasn't happened so everything you said is irrelevant.

@Rodimusprime13
I'm pretty sure that if Sony were to prevent the sales of all 3rd party PS games, except exclusively via their own store, it would be viewed as a monopoly situation.
So, they will continue to offer an alternative method of purchase - and they have already said this!
However, please continue to believe what you want.

The physical back-and-forth has become tiring. I have my opinion on the situation, but whatever. My takeaway is Sony is coming up to some pretty severe headwinds in the mid to long term, and the physical game controversy isn't close to the biggest issue for them, holistically. The RAM and component crisis is a mountain compared to that molehill.

Maybe people will overlook not having ownership of their stuff (they probably will forget about it when push comes to shove), but how is Sony gonna sell me on a $1000+ console after the PS5 generation is my question. I haven't been super enthused about near anything they have done in the past 5 years.

Diminishing graphical returns, lackluster UI updates, live service push, Bluepoint closure, super long cross-gen period, lack of effective communication, Japan Studio closure, no PSVR2 support, drastic price increases... They are acting like they are coming out of the highs of the PS2 gen, but in reality this is one of their weakest console generations in their entire history (in my opinion). They aren't exactly smelling like roses right now.

Would now not be the time to be, y'know, build up some brand goodwill so we open up our wallets in 2028 or whatever? I feel like this company is begging me not to give it anymore money. And I'll say, I'm listening. And it's not just because of physical media, not even close.

@OwenOtter

Love this response. It's like... if you aren't gonna give me what I want, how I want, the way I want, when I want - I'm gone. And that's no idle talk. I know it doesn't seem like it in a vacuum, but consumers keep the cash flowing so we have the power. All of it. Not shareholders.

Sony doesn't tell me how I get to enjoy stuff. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. That's presumptuous. Their products were present in my household at -my- pleasure, not vice versa. And they can easily be ejected at the drop of a hat. Plenty of options. They are high priced consumer electronics - toys - at the end of the day.

Is it entitled? Oh absolutely. But my dollars bought that entitlement. And the dollars stop from here on out. Sony, I'm sorry we are going in a different direction. So many cool hobbies to spend my limited money on.

@Rodimusprime13 Stop spreading misinformation. Do your own research. For reference there are 12 months in a year.

https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/terms-of-service/

21.2 If you have not used your Account for at least 36 months we may take steps to close it. In that case, we will contact you via the email address registered to your Account and give you 6 months to either log in to your Account or contact us and tell us to keep your Account open.

@electrolite77 I agree with some your sentiment. PC may have gotten easier to use but are still a ways off the simplicity of consoles. Steam Machine OS is a good start.
‘There’s never been an instance where less consumer choice has benefitted the consumer’ - you are correct, this will have consequences and negatively affect consumers who predominantly purchase 2nd hand games and this is unique to consoles. It’s unfortunate but I don’t believe the 2nd hand market is Sony’s reason for this change. I agree the company has run the numbers and expect a small percentage to leave the ecosystem with this policy shift or at least buy fewer games. There is a financial offset but that doesn’t necessarily equate to current customers paying more. It’s hyperbole to suggest all the company wants is casuals and whales to bleed dry. I mean do we say that about Steam? Sony’s primary purpose with this change is to maximise returns by eliminating or reducing retailers split of each new sale. This does not change the price the consumer pays, it does affect how consumer purchases its products. Clearly that’s not acceptable to some.
‘Any discounts will be entirely down to their largesse’ this is fair but I’d say that’s the same now wherever we turn. Sony will have a mandate over the frequency of sales and promotions on its storefront. That doesn’t mean it’s immune from competition. It also doesn’t mean it has any more control over publishers setting prices on PSN than it does on Steam. The only difference being publishers vastly prefer digital sales so will clearly welcome this change.
I truly believe more needs to be done regarding digital purchases and customer rights, it’s pointless for me to suggest Sony is no worse than Valve or Apple etc. They all need to do better in this regard. If any of them wanted to truly innovate and lead then vastly improving digital rights of purchases should be a priority.

@electrolite77
You wouldn't think PC was that easy if you knew what I know, but hopefully you can steer clear of compatibility issues (between major supplier parts), or issues that need a full wipe and re-install of everything on the PC (twice), or update issues that lose you hours at a time on a frequent basis.

The rest of my previous reply still stands. All Sony are doing is removing physical discs sold at retail, and replacing with digital codes sold at retail - their choice of alternative, that they have to make available due to anti monopoly laws.
The only real casualty of this is the second hand disc market, but as developers don't benefit from this, I don't see it as a major loss to the industry.

I was very much 'on the fence' when Sony first announced them stopping support for discs - and I still am to an extent - mostly for purely non self serving reasons as I haven't bought a disc in years now.
All of these anti-consumer type (or scare story) arguments don't hold any weight with me - literally none until I hear more of Sony's plans regarding digital. I am far more interested in hearing Sony's plans regarding the PS6 and digital, than the loss of a physical media which has long been in decline both in terms of sales and relevance.

@ManaOwls Right there with you, bub.

Feels like them putting us old dogs down, and choosing the young gamers who have grown up on Fortnite, Minecraft, and mobile games and don’t know any better.

@Dudeitsme In a digital competition, Steam beats Sony all day, everyday

@ItsAlwaysSunnyyy Nope, none of that for you! You don’t get to own your purchases anymore!

They bit the bullet, laid the plan to spin down these manufacturing processes plants for game discs, are done with it. A very vocal minority isn't going to change that.

Would be nice to try to get more rights for digital ownership but that probably won’t ever happen either.

@Splat For me its not a big issue anymore checking out the Switch looks like fun.

The biggest issue for me lack of communication about people with a physical collection will they be left in the the dust.

If my complete library is obsolete then its smarter to sell of my collection and spend my money elsewhere.

The PSN is a horrible online store with terrible customer protection, overpriced games and a company that steals your digital content without any shame. With all their original studio's Japanese studios gone its not looking any better.

@hypnotoad elegantly put, move with the times and at 46 in 2028 ill play my ps5 till it dies and move on to helix if it has steam or back to PC gaming over 30 year with PlayStation on and off with no reason to continue.

@Johnnycide

To me, it seems, that PS5 is my last Sony Console.
I still have a lot of PHYSICAL back catalog games to catch up on, so Sony can suck a huge, fat, crayon!