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Sony to End Physical PS Games 2028, Faces Mexican Complaint

7/15/2026

Summary

Sony Ends Discs

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that new PlayStation games will be digital-only, ending disc releases from January 2028.
Digital full-game sales rose from 13 % in 2013 to almost 80 % in 2025, prompting the shift.
Mexico’s antitrust commission filed a complaint on the disc-kill, while the EU said it cannot block Sony’s plan.

Summary

Sony Shifts Microlenses

Sony’s Austrian disc-printing plant is investing €30 million in machinery to produce microlenses and will cut disc output to 10% of current levels by 2028.
The plant makes about 600,000 discs daily and will retrain roughly 300 employees for the new process.
A petition urging Sony to retain physical discs has amassed nearly 310,000 signatures.
After many gamers cancelled PlayStation Plus, Sony offered promotions of up to 50% off.

Summary

Sony Digital Overpricing

Digital PlayStation games cost about 47 % more than identical physical copies despite lower distribution expenses.
Sony’s closed platform bars third-party digital sales, allowing commissions up to 30 %.
UK consumer advocate Alex Neill leads the £2 billion “PlayStation You Owe Us” class action alleging monopoly overpricing and saying higher digital prices hurt consumers and restrict developers.
A U.S. case settled with Sony paying $7.85 million in store-credit for digital-pricing complaints.

History

Historical Context

Valve launched Steam in 2003 and opened it to third-party games by 2005, quickly capturing about 75 % of the PC digital market by 2013. Its dominance prompted antitrust actions such as the EU investigation in 2017 and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission lawsuit in 2014. Sony’s disc-free PlayStation strategy now faces similar scrutiny from regulators in Mexico, the EU and the UK.

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Sony Ends Discs

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that new PlayStation games will be digital-only, ending disc releases from January 2028.
Digital full-game sales rose from 13 % in 2013 to almost 80 % in 2025, prompting the shift.
Mexico’s antitrust commission filed a complaint on the disc-kill, while the EU said it cannot block Sony’s plan.

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