Sony has announced that, starting in 2028, PS5 games will only be sold digitally through retailers and PlayStation Store. In a statement, the company said that this decision was made after taking into account the recent changes in consumer preferences as well as trends in the overall entertainment industry.
In the year and a half leading up to the January 2028 cutoff date, however, we will continue seeing PS5 games coming to discs, depending on publishers. After the date, however, even retail copies will just be codes sold in boxes rather than including any disc.
“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,” said the company. “This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”
This might also end up being an indicator that future PlayStation consoles might not feature disc drives at all. While the rumored PS6 handheld would likely have no physical room for a disc drive, next-generation home consoles in the future will likely only be available in SKUs similar to the PS5’s Digital Edition.
Sony’s announcement comes just days after Rockstar Games’ controversial decision not to include any discs with the physical release of Grand Theft Auto 6. While there have been rumors that the company might end up releasing a disc version at a later date, more recent reports have indicated that this may not be the plan. Citing a “source with knowledge of the plans, The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that no disc-based physical release is planned in the “following months” after the game’s release.
In light of this, Circana’s Mat Piscatella has said that the decision won’t really lead to any major effect on Grand Theft Auto 6’s sales. He pointed to the popularity of modern consoles without disc drives, like the PS5 Digital Edition and the Xbox Series S, along with a number of retailers that don’t deal in used games.
“Anyways, devil’s advocate here, but given the % of PS5/XBS consoles out there without a disc drive, one could argue code in box may provide a better opportunity for retailers, particularly those that don’t sell used,” he wrote. “In any case, can’t say this changes anything regarding total sales expectations.”
Rockstar Games opened up pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 just last week, and while we haven’t yet seen any official numbers about how many copies may have already been sold, a glance at the PlayStation Store’s “All games” section reveals that it has been topping sales charts across all regions, be it the US, UK, Canada, or even Japan and South Korea.
Interestingly, the best-selling version of Grand Theft Auto 6 right now seems to be the $100 Ultimate Edition, rather than its $80 standard edition. The Ultimate Edition includes an “exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action around every corner.” Some of the included customization options will be available through unique in-game shops, like Sara’s Unisex Salon, Rideout Customs, and Electric Fang Tattoo.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is being developed for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for a November 19th release.
