July 1 (Reuters) - Sony said on Wednesday it will stop producing physical discs for all new games released on PlayStation consoles from January 2028, marking a full shift to digital distribution as consumer purchases continue to move online.
Digital downloads accounted for about 80% of Sony's full-game software sales in fiscal 2025, according to the company, reflecting a years-long shift toward digital game purchases.
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 change will not apply to games released, or already scheduled for disc release, before that date.
"Stripping discs improves margins but will likely require greater storage capacity, which is also increasingly expensive," said Joost van Dreunen, games professor at NYU's Stern School of Business.
Separately, Sony said it would begin shutting down the PlayStation Store on its legacy PS3 and PS Vita devices, starting with select markets this year and expanding globally in 2027.
The 15- to 20-year-old consoles can no longer support the secure payment systems used by the modern PlayStation Network, the company said.
Once the stores close, users will no longer be able to purchase new content, although previously purchased games and content will remain available for download for the foreseeable future.
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 close in all remaining markets in July 2027.
(Reporting by Anzar Mehraj in Bengaluru: Editing by Tasim Zahid and Maju Samuel)
