Sony announced in early August 2026 that it will stop producing physical game discs for new PlayStation titles starting January 2028, switching fully to digital releases [1].
At an investor call on August 7, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that this shift to digital-only will not disturb the gaming industry too much. He cited the PC market's transition to digital sales platforms like Steam as a successful example where removing physical discs helped grow the market [2, 1, 3, 4].
Guillemot explained that "being only digital will help to have a more accessible machine" by potentially lowering hardware costs. He acknowledged both positives, such as market growth and potentially cheaper consoles, and negatives, including loss of ownership, game preservation concerns, and the decline of the used game market [2, 4]. He stated, "What we saw on the PC is that it helped to grow the market. There's also some pressure for the future on the cost of machines...We think it will not disturb, too much, the industry" [4].
Despite the announcement, many PlayStation gamers and industry figures, including Hideo Kojima, have expressed negative reactions to Sony’s decision [2, 1, 4]. Analysts note that moving to digital-only will allow Sony to capture a greater share of game revenue through its PlayStation Store compared to physical retail sales [4].
Ubisoft itself is navigating changes in the industry with restructuring, including layoffs and budget cuts [4]. The publisher recently reported that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sold over 3.5 million copies [2, 4]. Industry data shows Capcom also saw 93% of its game sales come from digital channels over the past year, reflecting a broader trend toward digital distribution platforms [2].
PC gaming’s near-complete move away from physical discs underscores this trend, with platforms like Steam dominating digital sales [2, 3, 4]. Sony’s digital-only PlayStation approach will take effect in January 2028, marking a key milestone in the industry’s shift away from physical media.
