Sony recently announced that starting from 2028, all new PlayStation games will stop releasing physical discs and will be released in digital versions. After the news was exposed, it triggered a strong backlash from players around the world. However, just as the outside world is almost unanimously criticizing Sony, well-known game industry analyst Mat Piscatella has a completely different view. He bluntly said that the biggest reason why physical versions will disappear now is actually the change in players’ own purchasing habits.
The mouth shouts support, but the body is honest
Piscatella pointed out that in recent years, players have turned to digital versions in large numbers. Whether it is downloaded games, digital discounts, or subscription services such as PS Plus, more and more people have given up buying discs. Data released by Sony also shows that approximately 80% of PlayStation complete game sales in fiscal 2025 will come from digital versions. In this case, Sony chose to stop producing new game discs. In fact, it was just a decision based on market trends, rather than deliberately going against players.
Piscatella also said that many players usually complain about the disappearance of the physical version, but when they actually spend money, they finally choose the more convenient and cheaper digital version. Therefore, today’s results are, to some extent, shaped by the market.
It’s not that you don’t buy it, it’s that you took away the choice!
However, the analysts’ words did not convince everyone. Many players believe that the increase in the proportion of digital versions does not mean that Sony should directly cancel the physical version. What is really worrying is that once only the digital version remains, it will lose second-hand trading, collectible value, and the guarantee of actually owning the game in the future. In recent years, issues such as digital content ownership, the “Stop Killing Games” movement, and the removal of games from platforms have continued to ferment. More and more players have begun to question whether the digital games they spend money to purchase truly belong to them.
The truth may be that no one is right or wrong
Sony does make business decisions based on market data, but what players worry about is never a disc, but whether they still have options in the future. All we can say is that the analyst’s words “it’s up to the player” instantly pushed the entire controversy to another battlefield. After all, when everyone is buying the digital version, is anyone really willing to pay for the future of the physical version?