- Sony has announced that it plans to end the production of physical game discs in January 2028
- The move has angered gamers, with a petition urging the company to reverse the decision racking up more than 250,000 signatures
- Major UK second-hand retailer musicMagpie warns that it could lead to higher prices and less choice for shoppers
Last week, PlayStation maker Sony announced that it would end the production of new game discs in January 2028 in response to demand for digital releases “significantly” outpacing that of physical ones. The move immediately angered gamers, with some vowing to stop buying PlayStation products entirely and creating a petition urging the company to change its mind.
The plea has now racked up almost 250,000 signatures, prompting massive UK second-hand retailer musicMagpie to weigh in.
Its in-house physical game expert, Alex Black, warns that Sony’s decision will lead to higher prices and less choice for shoppers: “If the industry moves away from physical media entirely, consumers will have fewer opportunities to shop around for the best price or recoup some of the cost of new releases by trading games in.”
Alex Black
Alex Black is media category manager at musicMagpie and has several years’ experience working in the pre-owned entertainment market. He is responsible for the company’s video games and books categories, overseeing pricing, trading strategy and market analysis.
He thinks that the decision even risks making the hobby less accessible by pricing out those with lower disposable income. “Pre-owned games give people access to more affordable gaming while extending the lifespan of physical products,” he explains.
“Customers regularly buy pre-owned games to save money and sell completed titles to help fund their next purchase. It’s a model that benefits both consumers and sustainability by keeping perfectly good products in circulation for longer.”
The retailer is also aware of the online backlash to the announcement, and reckons that it shows how important physical releases are for gamers — even if Sony seems to think otherwise.
“The comments from gamers about Sony’s decision to go exclusively digital clearly demonstrates that there is a huge community of players who still value physical ownership, whether that’s for collecting, preserving, or simply owning something they can keep, lend, or resell,” Black says.
“For many consumers, buying a physical game means purchasing an asset that retains, or even increases, in value. Comparatively, digital purchases are tied to licences and various platforms, meaning consumers have less flexibility over what they buy.”
Sales data from musicMagpie certainly indicates that there is still some demand for physical titles. Over the last year, the retailer sold roughly 360,000 physical video games, more than 157,000 of which were for PlayStation systems.
Although musicMagpie taking a stand might win points with gamers, it could already be too late for Sony to change course. The company has already made moves to repurpose the historic PlayStation factory that manufactured 24 billion discs, while industry analysts say that digital sales are “just too lucrative” to ignore.
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dash.wood@futurenet.com (Dashiell Wood)
