Sony Is Ditching Discs as Storage Prices Explode — Here's How Much It Will Cost You to Download All 37 First-Party Games to Your PS5 in 2026
Sony is phasing out PS5 discs as gamers face rising storage costs and a 2.99 TB library, with 4TB drives now reaching $789.99.
- During this week's Q3 earnings call, Sony confirmed it is "cautiously" moving forward with plans to stop producing physical versions of PlayStation games starting in 2028, CFO Lin Tao said.
- Sony has faced near-daily online backlash regarding the shift, as gamers express concern that digital sales are "licenses," not something they fully own.
- Managing a digital library requires significant storage; 37 first-party PS5 games total about 2.99 TB, while compatible 4TB SSDs now cost $400 more than last year.
- SK Hynix, a major RAM manufacturer, recently warned that 2027 will bring even higher costs for memory components as AI-driven supply constraints tighten.
- Gamers face a challenging landscape leading up to 2028 due to rising storage prices and ownership fears, with market conditions suggesting little relief before the physical disc discontinuation.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Sony is ditching discs as storage prices explode — here's how much it will cost you to download all 37 first-party games to your PS5 in 2026
This week, Sony held its Q3 earnings call where the company confirmed that it is "cautiously" moving forward with plans to stop producing physical versions of PlayStation games starting in 2028, CFO Lin Tao said (see Tao's comments in this video from Kotaku's Ethan Gach).“When we think about the future, and we put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this, and we came to this conclusion. And we’re going to cautiously move t…
“PS6 Is Dead in the Water” Gamers React to PlayStation Doubling Down on Disc-Free Future
After a lengthy silence, Sony finally addressed the monthlong backlash it its announcement that it will stop printing disks in 2028. Unfortunately, the outrage hasn’t made Sony reconsider, and PlayStation still plans to go fully digital for new games in the coming years. This confirmation that Sony isn’t changing course has gamers once again furious with the company, and they’re not holding back. Many current PlayStation owners vow that they’ll …
The transition to an entirely digital future continues to cause debate in the video game industry. While many PlayStation players expressed their discontent after the announcement of the shutdown of the production of the games on disk from January 2028, Sony confirmed that it was maintaining its strategy. During the presentation of its [...] The Sony article assumes the end of the PlayStation games on disk and believes that this will not affect …
What the End of PlayStation Physical Games Means For You
Sony dropped quite the bombshell at the start of the month with the news that they would no longer be producing physical copies for PlayStation games starting from January 2028. Online reactions were immediate, and very, very heated. As of the time of writing, this massive change will make Sony the first of the big three console manufacturers to commit to all-digital. This follows a stark shift in the way we buy games. Sony’s own financial repor…
technewstube.com
Tom's HardwareSony doubles down on axing physical game discs — CFO reiterates 'we’re going to cautiously move this forward'
Despite widespread public backlash, Sony has reaffirmed its plan to transition PlayStation to an all-digital platform during the company's FY26 Q1 earnings call. The company is moving forward with ending the production of physical game discs in January 2028. After this date, the company will no longer manufacture physical media for new game releases. This decision gives PlayStation fans and retailers a little over a year and a half to prepare fo…
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