For gamers, the fight to ‘save the disc’ is about more than nostalgia

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Sony said it will stop releasing new PlayStation games on physical discs in 2028, a move critics say leaves players buying revocable licenses instead of games they truly own.

Thousands of gamers expressed frustration over Sony’s announcement last week that PlayStation games will be sold only in digital formats beginning in January 2028.Anusak Laowilas / NurPhoto via Getty Images file

July 9, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

By Angela Yang

Movies still come on Blu-ray, music is still pressed on vinyl, and books still fill store shelves. But as Sony Interactive Entertainment moves to phase out physical PlayStation releases, many gamers are asking why video games should be the first major entertainment medium to go all digital.

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