New sales numbers make Sony's case for killing PlayStation discs pretty hard to argue with

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Sales tracking firm Circana has released numbers that don't do fans hoping for a reversal any favors, Circana Senior Director Mat Piscatella reported that only seven PlayStation games have sold more than 100,000 physical discs in the US throughout all of 2026, with just two games selling more than 10,000 physical units in a recent single week. Crucially, those figures cover every PlayStation game currently for sale, not just 2026 releases, meaning even titles with years of legs behind them aren't moving meaningful physical volume anymore

Sony confirmed earlier this month that it will stop making new physical PlayStation discs starting in 2028, and this latest data makes clear why reversing that decision is essentially off the table, manufacturing has already begun converting away from disc production, and the plan appears to be built directly into Sony's next console generation. Previous reporting put PlayStation's digital sales share at roughly 85 percent, though some analysts argue that figure is inflated since a meaningful number of digital-only titles never get a physical release at all, which skews the underlying math

The practical upshot for consumers is unambiguous, and not particularly favorable. Sony's own official statement about the decision emphasizes continuing to prioritize resources toward innovation and giving players choices in where they purchase games, whether at retailers or the PlayStation Store, but it remains unclear what meaningful choice retail buyers actually retain once physical discs disappear beyond simply buying a code inside an empty box, exactly the format GTA 6 is set to ship in on release. There are conflicting reports about whether Microsoft might include a disc drive in its next console specifically to differentiate itself, but the broader industry direction looks settled regardless

Going fully digital benefits Sony in a straightforward way, no more splitting revenue with retailers and no cost of physically manufacturing discs, all while game prices show no sign of coming down to reflect those savings. The real losses fall on everyone else in the ecosystem, game preservation efforts lose a durable physical format, consumers lose the ability to resell, lend, or collect physical copies, and the leverage retail competition previously gave shoppers on pricing quietly disappears along with it

New Numbers Present Sony's Case For Abandoning PlayStation Discswww.forbes.com