Sony said on Wednesday that all new games released on PlayStation consoles from January 2028 will be sold in digital form only, with no physical discs produced for those titles.
The decision marks a major milestone in the company’s long-running shift away from packaged software and toward online distribution, reflecting how consumers have increasingly chosen to buy and download games rather than purchase them in stores.
Sony said digital downloads accounted for about 80% of its full-game software sales in fiscal 2025. The change will not affect games that were released before that date or titles already scheduled for disc release before January 2028.
Important updates:
News on physical discs for new games – https://t.co/BzZODXdWGY
News on PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita – https://t.co/ev3mN6wj14 pic.twitter.com/PWXTZGHAh6— PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 1, 2026
Sony’s digital-only shift
The Japanese entertainment and technology company said new PlayStation titles released from January 2028 will be sold through the PlayStation Store and by retailers in digital formats only.
The company’s announcement underscores how deeply digital distribution has reshaped the video-game business, where faster internet access, cloud-linked services and platform stores have steadily reduced the role of physical media.
Sony did not say that existing games would be removed from disc circulation, but it made clear that the disc format will no longer be used for newly released PlayStation titles once the policy takes effect. The company’s figures on full-game software sales point to a business already dominated by downloads, leaving discs as a smaller and shrinking part of its overall software sales mix.
Legacy stores wind down
Sony also said it will begin shutting down the PlayStation Store on its legacy PS3 and PS Vita devices, with closures starting in select markets this year and expanding globally in 2027.
The company said the 15- to 20-year-old consoles can no longer support the secure payment systems used by the modern PlayStation Network.
Once the stores are closed, users will no longer be able to buy new content on those devices, although previously purchased games and content will remain available for download for the foreseeable future.
Sony said the PS3 store will close in Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua from August, followed by additional Latin American and Middle Eastern markets later in the year. The PS3 and PS Vita stores will then close in all remaining markets in July 2027.
So PlayStation is ending physical disc production starting in Jan 2028.
– No lending games to family or friends
– No buying or selling used copies
– Full dependence on your PSN account and digital storefront
– No true physical ownership, only digital licenses
– If a game is… pic.twitter.com/crD0ka8AsJ— GameVerse (@TheGameVerse) July 1, 2026
A disc-free future
The latest move highlights how Sony is reshaping its game business around digital shopfronts while phasing out infrastructure tied to older hardware and older buying habits.
For newer PlayStation titles, the company is now setting a clear timetable for a disc-free future, even as it manages a gradual retirement of services for consoles that have been off the front line for years.
The transition, Sony said, will be rolled out in stages across markets, with the full shift in new-release distribution due to begin in January 2028.
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FAQs
Q1: When will Sony stop releasing new PlayStation games on physical discs?
Ans: Sony will stop producing physical discs for all new PlayStation game releases starting in January 2028.
Q2: Will players lose access to games they already bought on PS3 and PS Vita?
Ans: No, Sony said previously purchased games and content will remain available for download even after the legacy PlayStation Stores close.
