Sony Announces End of PlayStation Discs, Parts of Digital Store in the Same Day
Freeman writes:
Some gamers are concerned about the future of game ownership after Sony's announcement today that it won't produce physical discs for PlayStation games as of January 2028. On that date, "new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only," Sony said in a blog post.
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"We'll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that's at retailers or PlayStation Store," the blog said.No companies other than Sony subsidiary Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation make PlayStation discs, so today's announcement signals the end of physical copies of PlayStation games and marks Sony's evolution toward a licensing-only sales model.
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buying a digital download is not the same as owning a game. Per PlayStation's terms of service:When you order or purchase a product from PlayStation Store, you buy a personal license to use that product for private, non-commercial use. That license is not transferable unless your local applicable laws say it must be. This means you can use a product in the ways described in the license, but do not own the product.
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Sony also announced today that it will close the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, with the US losing access in July 2027.
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"To ease the transition, players will still be able to download previously purchased content after the closing date for the foreseeable future," Sony said.Both blog posts have comments decrying Sony's announcements and their implications for ownership and long-term access to PlayStation games.
One user going by Mosquito53, for example, commented:
Another disappointing decision made in the same day. No matter how many users still use these stores, they should remain open. So much content released digital-only, even on these platforms, these games will be lost to time.
Imagine what will happen in the future when this same decision is made for PS4 or PS5 or even the eventual PS6, which now looks to be all digital with the announcement of no more physical disc production.
We will own nothing, it's truly sad.
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in 2024, Sony deleted customers' Funimation digital libraries despite Funimation previously claiming that customers would be able to access these digital copies "forever but" with "some restrictions."
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Sony has also shown a wavering commitment to its digital stores. In 2021, it stopped selling movie and show rentals/purchases. Leaving the door ajar for customers to potentially lose access to digital games they bought for PlayStation 3 or PS Vita doesn't boost confidence around the digital-only future.Further, the removal of storefronts could mean beloved games released only digitally become virtually impossible to find.
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"This is why physical media matters," a user named Radgatt commented on Sony's PS3 and PS Vita announcement. "More and more proof that you're just buying a license that can be taken away whenever companies feel like it.
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