Sony has reportedly begun consulting developers about the effects of abandoning physical releases for new games on PlayStation starting in 2028, less than three months after announcing the change. The information was reported by Moore’s Law Is Dead on the podcast Broken Silicon, published on Tuesday (22), and still has not been officially confirmed by the company.
According to the report, the company sent partners a more extensive survey than its usual questionnaires and asked, among other points, whether the end of disc versions would create problems for studios. There is no indication that Sony has decided to review the schedule, and the full content of the survey was not disclosed.
The consultation comes after Sony Interactive Entertainment announced in July that new games will no longer be produced on disc starting in January 2028. Titles released before the date may continue to have physical versions, while new releases will now be distributed only digitally.
Wolverine gets 22.9% of revenue in physical format
One of the recent data points that help gauge the market is the performance of Marvel’s Wolverine. Estimates from Alinea Analytics indicate that the game sold 1.9 million copies in the first three days, generating about US$ 130 million in revenue. Of that total, 22.9% came from physical sales. The numbers are estimates from the analytics firm and were not confirmed by Sony.
The share shows that, although digital dominates distribution on PlayStation, the physical format can still account for a significant portion of revenue for certain releases. In the results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Sony itself reported that 82% of full game sales for PS4 and PS5 occurred through digital download.
Sony publicly maintains its strategy. In July, the company told investors that the digitalization of consumption was one of the main factors behind the decision and that it does not expect a significant negative impact on its business. At the same time, it said it will continue evaluating players’ preferences and expectations.
So far, therefore, the survey reported to the studios indicates a gathering of feedback on the transition, but does not confirm a change in the plan to end new releases on disc in 2028.
