Sony responds to criticism: no more game disks from January 2028

For the first time Sony responded to the criticism that emerged after the announcement that the company will stop producing game disks from January 2028. Despite weeks of protests by fans, the Japanese manufacturer stresses that the decision is final and fits within the broader shift towards digital distribution.

The decision was published earlier this month, at the same time as the announcement that several PlayStation digital stores for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita will also be closed in time. The combination of both measures led to much discontent among gamers and resulted in the online campaign "Don't Kill The Disc", which calls to protect physical games and game preservation.

During the presentation of quarterly figures, financial director Lin Tao explained the decision. According to him, the switch is in line with the developments in the entertainment industry, where digital sales have become the norm. Sony states that around 82 percent of all games are purchased and downloaded digitally nowadays.

Tao emphasised that the phasing out of physical game disks has been announced well in advance, allowing consumers and partners to prepare for the change. Although he acknowledged that many fans were disappointed with the decision, he made no commitment that Sony would reconsider the plans.

With this reaction seems Sony permanently adhere to his strategy to fully switch to digital distribution. After decades, this will put an end to the era of physical PlayStation game disks and make an important step towards a fully digital future.