PlayStation's move to eliminate discs is slower than expected.
PlayStation officially announced in July 2026 that it would end disc production for new games for PlayStation consoles in January 2028. This decision has drawn complaints from gamers worldwide, but it appears that the decline in disc production at disc manufacturing plants will proceed more slowly than expected, with disc production expected to decrease by only 10% by 2028.
Sony's PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90
Sony isn't phasing out discs quite as quickly as we thought | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/games/991806/sony-disc-plant-90-percent-10-percent
In July 2026, PlayStation announced that it would end disc production for new games for PlayStation consoles in January 2028.
PlayStation announces it will end disc production for new console games in January 2028, with only digital downloads available from January 2028 onwards - GIGAZINE
In July 2026, Dietmar Tanzer, head of Sony DADC, Sony's optical disc manufacturing company, spoke to Austrian media about the production of PlayStation discs at the Thargau plant, and several media outlets reported that ' production will decrease to one-tenth of what it is now .'
However, according to Brian Crescente, founder of gaming media outlets Kotaku and Polygon, who confirmed directly with Sony DADC, it has become clear that the production of PlayStation discs at the Targau plant is projected to decrease by only 10% by 2028.
A spokesperson for Sony DADC commented, 'To avoid misunderstandings, let me clarify that Mr. Dietmar predicted a 10% decrease in overall product sales, not a 10% decrease in sales volume.' However, the spokesperson declined to provide any further details.
The discontinuation of production in January 2028 only applies to the production of discs for new games; it does not affect games already sold in disc format. Therefore, a spokesperson for Sony DADC explained that 'discs from reorders will be available on the market from January 2028 onwards.'
Shawn Layden , a strategic advisor to the gaming industry and former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, said that PlayStation's decision to discontinue disc production is 'depressing but solvable.'
According to Mr. Raiden, the biggest obstacle for third parties to manufacture PlayStation discs is that Sony uses its own proprietary process for disc production. Despite this, Sony does not license its disc production technology to other companies. Therefore, Mr. Raiden stated, 'Unless Sony licenses its disc production technology, there is no way to solve the disc production problem.'
Meanwhile, Microsoft has granted licenses for disc production and has already outsourced disc production to external factories. Xbox discs are produced by Microsoft-certified authorized cloning companies, and Microsoft also reserves the right to discontinue disc production .
However, as far as Mr. Crescente has confirmed, there are no companies currently in discussions with Sony regarding the outsourcing of disc production operations. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether Sony is open to licensing its disc production technology.
Regarding Sony's reluctance to license its disc production technology, Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners, a game market research firm, stated, 'While the expansion of digital share is certainly a market trend, the decision to stop producing physical discs at this point is entirely platform-driven, aimed at reducing Sony's costs, eliminating the resale/used market, and generating 100% of its revenue through the PlayStation Store.'
So as much as rising digital share is a market trend, the decision to stop physical disc production at this point is entirely a platform led decision that is designed to cut costs for Sony, eliminate resale / used markets, and drive 100% of revenue through the PlayStation Store.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 1, 2026
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