PlayStation’s Physical Game Phase-Out Sparks Outrage, but Analyst Insists Digital-Only Future Was Inevitable and Backlash Will Be Forgotten in Two Years

The long-dreaded shift away from physical game media is finally taking shape, and recent industry movements suggest the transition is all but certain. As many have already heard, PlayStation has announced it will cease production of disc-based games by 2028, a decision that could very well serve as a turning point for the entire gaming industry.

Unsurprisingly, the announcement has triggered a wave of backlash from the gaming community. Social media platforms have been flooded with criticism directed at Sony, while Change.org petitions have surfaced in an attempt to reverse the policy. In some cases, disgruntled fans have even threatened to boycott the company outright.

End of Physical Format Is Similar to the Death of Laptop Disk Drives

The uproar is understandable, given the broader implications for the market. Analysts are already forecasting that both the upcoming PlayStation 6 and Microsoft’s Project Helix will launch as fully digital ecosystems.

Retailers also face an uncertain future, as experts warn that brick-and-mortar game stores will struggle to sell empty boxed copies containing nothing but download codes, while the second-hand market also stands to suffer significantly.

Amid the outcry, Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners, offers a more measured perspective. He contends that the demise of physical media was merely a matter of time, likening it to the death of PC disk drives.

“It’s more like Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops starting in 2008. There were definitely a high number of complaints at the time, but not a single person is complaining about it today. You couldn’t find many people complaining in the early 2010s either,” he said on social media.

And indeed, there are signs that gamers are gradually coming to terms with the all-digital future. This week’s re-release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2, available exclusively through the PS Store on PS4 and PS5, proved to be a commercial success.

Fellow industry analyst Serkan Toto echoes this sentiment, noting that the number of participants in the so-called boycott remains too insignificant to sway Sony’s strategy. “They knew exactly how the reaction would play out. Now they’re simply waiting for the storm to pass.”

Ahmad concurs, adding that while a policy reversal appears highly improbable, Sony may still feel compelled to issue clarifications to address community concerns.

End of Physical Media on Consoles Would Have Happened Sooner or Later

From Ahmad’s point of view, the real surprise is not that Sony made this move, but that it beat Microsoft to the punch. “If it wasn’t the PS6, it would have been the PS7.”

He points to compelling data: before the PS4’s launch, digital full-game sales on PlayStation accounted for less than 10% of the total; today, that figure hovers near 80%. Xbox mirrors this trend, with digital titles now exceeding 90% of all game sales, excluding DLC, microtransactions, and subscriptions.

“The truth is that the console ecosystem is nearly entirely digital at this point. More importantly though, the current sell through rate of digital only PS5s is above 50%,” he said.

Given this landscape, he argues that the conversation should pivot away from the physical-versus-digital debate and toward pressing issues of consumer rights in dhttp://www.levelup.com/en/tag/PlayStationigital ecosystems particularly what should and should not be permitted under a software license. He also highlighted the importance of grassroots initiatives such as the Stop Killing Games campaign.

What’s your take on Daniel Ahmad’s perspective? Do you lean toward physical or digital purchases? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

For more PlayStation-related news, click here.