For more than three decades, users of Sony’s PlayStation video game consoles have been able to buy physical discs for their systems.
Starting in 2028, that will no longer be possible. Sony announced this week that it will stop producing physical discs as consumer habits shift toward digital media. Instead, users will have to purchase games through digital downloads.
The company said the end of disc production will have no impact on current games.
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“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 said.
Sony launched the first PlayStation console in 1994 and became the first major console maker to use CD-ROM discs instead of cartridges.
The system helped revolutionize the video game industry, and future generations of consoles also adopted disc-based formats. Sony’s latest console, the PlayStation 5, has been available since 2020. The PS5 comes in multiple versions, including digital-only models and versions that can use Blu-ray discs.
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Sony has not said when it plans to launch a sixth-generation console.
The announcement comes as Sony begins ending support for the PlayStation 3 in some countries this year. The PS3 launched in 2006 and was discontinued in 2016.