Next-Gen is digital

Sony confirmed today that all new games released on PlayStation consoles will move to digital formats starting January 2028. This applies to new releases after the cutoff date. Games already released on disc, or games scheduled to release on disc before then, are not affected.

The timing is now being treated as a strong signal for PlayStation 6. Ampere analyst says the January 2028 cutoff almost certainly means PS6 will not launch before that year, reports Kotaku. Ampere currently expects the console to arrive at the end of 2028.

No standard disc drive expected for either PS6 or Xbox Next

The standard PS6 model will likely ship without a physical disc drive. Analysts believe that Sony may still offer an add-on disc drive for older PS4 and PS5 games, but this has not been confirmed. Back in September, Insider Gaming claimed that Sony planned to keep the detachable disc drive strategy for PS6, similar to the current PS5 Slim model. Interestingly, that post is no longer availble.

Kotaku also asked several analysts about the announcement. Circana’s Mat Piscatella said it is now safe to assume that both PlayStation 6 and Project Helix, Microsoft’s next Xbox hardware, will be digital-only devices. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad made a similar point, saying Sony’s move guarantees that PS6 will ship without a disc drive.

Xbox Project Helix without disc

Windows Central also reports that its own sources suggest Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console will drop the disc drive.

All of this does raise the question of whether the next generation of consoles will even include a disc drive on the PlayStation 6, and I think it’s a pretty clear: no. As things stand, I’d be surprised if Sony even offered an optional external disc drive. As for Project Helix, our sources also suggest that Microsoft’s next-generation console will drop the disc drive, too.

— Windows Central

The outlet adds that Sony’s decision raises questions about game ownership, resale, borrowing and preservation. Without physical releases, players lose access to the used game market and must rely on PlayStation Store pricing or official discounts.

This is also a reversal of the console debate from 2013. Sony promoted physical game sharing for PlayStation 4 after Microsoft’s original Xbox One DRM policy drew criticism. More than a decade later, both platform holders now appear to be moving in the same digital-only direction.

At least for Xbox Next, we can be sure that as long as it is a “PC” at its core, users will still be able to plug in a disc drive on USB and use it for whatever they need. Just not for new games.

Source: Kotaku , Windows Central

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