PlayStation video games will no longer be released on discs from January 2028, Sony has announced.
In a blog post yesterday, Sony's global content communications director, Sid Shuman, confirmed the move, saying games will only be released on the PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats.
He said this was a response as consumer preferences, "continue to shift away from physical discs to digital".
"This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs.
"This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."
Sony's announcement comes after Rockstar announced that its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI would release without a physical disc. Investment bank Piper Sandler has estimated that more than 46 million copies of GTA VI will sell in the first 24 hours.
Sony also announced it will close the digital store on its PlayStation 3 and PS Vita consoles. This will be staggered regionally from August this year to July 2027.
"As the PlayStation Store continues to evolve to support modern commerce systems, including updated payment processing standards, PS3 and PS Vita are no longer able to support these updates at the level required," Shuman said.
"We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming. PS3 and PS Vita represent an important era in our PlayStation history, so this was not an easy decision for us to make."
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