Sony says its Sony PlayStation disc future is still headed toward all-digital games in 2028, and the company is not backing away from that plan. In the latest earnings call, CFO Lin Tao said the backlash over discs has not hurt the business.
That matters because PlayStation’s shift changes how games are bought and owned, while Sony says 82% of its games are already sold digitally. The remaining 18% still leaves room for physical releases now, but the direction of travel is clear.
Lin Tao on the Q&A
Lin Tao addressed the disc issue in a Q&A during Sony’s latest earnings call. She tied the backlash to PlayStation’s bottom line and said it was not having any impact on business.
That is the first direct response Sony has given to fan protests over the move away from discs. It also shows the company is treating the complaint as a sales and distribution issue, not a reversal point.
Sony and physical boxes
Sony is still working with retailers on a model that would put digital codes inside physical game boxes. That keeps a box on the shelf, but it changes the product inside from a disc to a code.
For players, that means the purchase can still look physical at retail even when the game itself is not on a disc. The practical difference is ownership of media, not packaging, and Sony’s plan keeps moving in that direction.
GTA 6 and the market shift
Take-Two will distribute the upcoming GTA 6 with no physical discs. Sony said more third-party games may follow that model.
The pressure on disc buyers is not just coming from Sony’s own software. If major releases keep shipping without discs, the market will give players fewer reasons to expect physical media to remain the default.
Sony is not changing its mind about the move, and the 2028 target remains in place. The open question is how fast the last 18% of PlayStation game sales shifts before then.
