Former PlayStation Boss Says Physical Media Can Be Saved But Only If Sony Borrows a Page from Xbox’s Playbook

PlayStation has been under fire for its gradual pivot away from physical game discs. Shawn Layden, a former top executive at the company, acknowledges that the future of Sony and the industry as a whole looks grim. Still, he hopes that Sony reverses course, as he believes there’s a way to rescue physical media.

In a recent interview, Layden returned to the subject of PlayStation’s contentious disc-drive policy, offering a glimmer of hope for collectors and physical-media enthusiasts as he believes Sony should follow Microsoft’s playbook to save disc-gaming.

PlayStation Could Save Physical Format If It Follows XBOX’s Model

Back in mid-July, Layden had already voiced his disappointment over reports that PlayStation was winding down physical production, calling the news “sad” from a gamer’s perspective. At the time, he acknowledged that the decision was likely driven by the decline in physical sales and the overwhelming dominance of digital downloads.

Speaking with Game (via Game Rant), the former executive described Sony’s current strategy as “depressing, but solvable.” In his view, the solution lies in partnering with outside firms to handle disc manufacturing much like Xbox already does.

Sony currently holds a significant share of the console game-disc market, but plans to scale back its own production lines starting in January 2028. Orders will still be accepted after that date, but the overall supply of physical copies is expected to shrink considerably.

Layden argues that outsourcing could address two issues at once: it would reduce Sony’s internal costs and supply a demand that still exists.

Shawn Layden Calls on Industry to Support Digital Property Rights

With both PlayStation and Xbox recently reminding players that digital purchases are essentially licensed content rather than owned property, Layden spoke about digital property rights. “If you can’t resell [the game you have purchased], do you really own it?” he asked, criticizing the industry’s direction.

“I see a lot of companies making decisions which, objectively speaking, I don’t know what the dollar end of that was for you, Mr. Company, but your brand value just dropped 30 percent. So I hope it was worth it,” Layden said, regarding the backlash PlayStation has received since it announced its plans.

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