In a shocking turn of events—I always thought XBOX would go all-digital first—PlayStation has announced that it’s doing away with discs in 2028. Now, this doesn’t mean they won’t have a retail presence, they will just be a code in a box, similar to something like Nintendo’s Game Key Cards, I’m assuming.
This decision is spurred on by the staunch increase of digital sales. A whopping 85% of PlayStation’s game sales were digital in the last quarter, and said digital sales continue a trend of some percent increase.
Do I think on paper this is a smart decision? Sure, but with PlayStation’s history of scrubbing player libraries—P.T., anyone?—because a developer told them to, the shuttering of the PS3 and Vita stores by next year, and the over 500 movies and shows that people paid for and lost because of a licensing deal, I don’t trust Sony to properly navigate this treacherous waters.
Additionally, with the game prices going the way they are, it’s just salt in the—already gaping—wound. I will admit I’m part of the problem; I basically exclusively buy games digitally, but that’s besides the point. They are still gonna be losing some sales from people who just don’t have good enough internet. I know that’s hard to believe, but places like that exist.