All articles tagged with #disc free
A former Square Enix executive argues that a future PS store with no physical discs could spur price competition among publishers, potentially driving digital game prices downward in a Steam-like market. While this theory fits with observed Steam-style discounts, real-world results remain mixed, as newer digital-only releases (e.g., GTA VI) haven’t seen price drops and pricing on PSN and other stores varies.
Sony reaffirmed its plan to end PlayStation game discs from January 2028, defending a digital-first strategy amid backlash and signaling potential solutions like code-in-a-box releases and region-specific packaging; it notes North America already uses codes and reports no current negative impact, with digital downloads accounting for about 82% of PS4/PS5 game software, while fans rally with PSBlackout protests.
Sony acknowledged fan anger over ending physical PS5 discs in January 2028 but will cautiously move forward with a digital-first strategy, saying there’s no near-term impact on business. It reported 95.3 million PS5 shipped, 125 million PSN MAUs, 66.1 million games sold, secured memory supply, and that hardware profitability should stay broadly similar to FY2025, with retailers likely shifting to digital code boxes.
An Ampere analyst argues Sony's plan to stop making PS discs by January 2028 indicates the PlayStation 6 will not debut before late 2028, with a disc-free baseline aimed at cutting costs. The piece situates this within a broader industry shift to digital games (Ampere data shows digital sales rising to 80% by 2025) and notes a (unconfirmed) Windows Central rumor about Microsoft following suit. It also mentions the possibility of a disc-drive add-on and the online backlash from players who want physical media.
Microsoft reportedly plans to ship Project Helix without a disc drive and to add a disc-to-digital feature that grants a digital license tied to the owned disc, allowing play without inserting the disc (though not for Xbox 360 or original Xbox discs). The feature is in internal testing, with some Xbox One titles limited; it's unclear if Helix will ever include a drive. This follows Sony's move to end physical disc manufacturing for PS6 in 2028, signaling a broader shift to digital gaming; alpha dev kits are expected in 2027.