Image: Push Square
Update #2 [Mon 31st Aug 2026, 10:45pm]: After industry veteran Richard Browne rubbished rumours regarding publisher unrest in relation to Sony’s decision to stop manufacturing physical discs, now Digital Foundry’s John Linneman has joined the discussion.
In a new video, he said the developers and publishers he spoke to were “largely very upset” about the move, as they see a “lot of return, in fact a majority, through physical sales”.
While Linneman didn’t elaborate on the people he spoke to, he went on to say that “obviously the big partners and big AAA studios don’t care”, so it’s safe to assume he’s talking about more boutique operations here.
That would make sense, as smaller publishers like, for example, Clear River Games lean quite heavily into physical products for their games. (Though they also sell them digitally.)
The major publishers are likely in support of Sony’s decision, as they’re able to increase their margins through digital downloads. A move in that direction is in their best interest.
Linneman said he got the impression the businesses he talked to will put their weight behind the Switch 2 moving forward, which still has a vibrant physical market, but that obviously includes the controversial Game Key Cards and – in some cases – more expensive physical cartridges.
“The industry side is not positive, and there seems to be a lot of resentment for what Sony’s doing,” Linneman concluded.
“I’m wondering if this is the kind of thing that will result in potentially less good results for Sony. They’re not infallible and they’re not automatically going to get the audience. We’ll see.”
Update #1 [Sun 30th Aug 2026, 7:50pm]:
Richard Browne – an industry veteran who’s worked at companies like Sony, Psygnosis, and Tencent, among others – has rubbished recent rumours which suggested PlayStation could reverse its decision on physical media.
Browne said there was “no talk of Sony changing strategy at Gamescom” – I certainly didn’t hear any chatter about it – and that “all publishers are following their guidance for discless in 2028”.
Just briefly. There was NO talk of Sony changing strategy at GamesCom. All publishers are following their guidance for discless in 2028. Microsoft will also go discless if they launch a new console. The “source” of these “rumors” has not even posted it to their own X feed.— Richard Browne (@rpwbrowne) August 30, 2026
He added that “Microsoft will also go discless if they launch a new console”, despite the original source claiming the next Xbox would be “100% physical”.
As I said all along, these rumours seemed baseless from the start to me, and I’m sure other sources will step forward in the coming days to dismiss them.
Original Story: I’m not entirely sure how this rumour got started, but the web is awash with reports this weekend that Sony is considering reversing its stance on physical games.
The manufacturer has announced plans to cease manufacturing discs in January 2028, which has led to a loud outcry from select customers, prompting an indefinite “blackout” of the PS5 console.
But the company itself has said it’s “not seeing any impact on our business” from the backlash, as vocal fans threaten to cancel PS Plus subscriptions and purchase their games elsewhere.
As far as I can tell, these unsubstantiated rumours seem to stem from a Eurogamer Spain podcast, where one of the hosts claims to have heard speculation at Gamescom about a potential change to Sony’s plans.
Allegedly, the reason behind PlayStation’s sudden change of heart is that Microsoft has apparently been telling publishers that its next console will be “100% physical”, and that’s allegedly got Sony spooked.
REPORT: PlayStation is claimed to be considering delaying their digital-only future because XBOX is willing to go physical next generation🚀
✅Microsoft is allegedly telling publishers its next console, Project Helix will be entirely physical and will allow users to convert… pic.twitter.com/WPlCaKWtWc
— Rino🚀 (@RinoTheBouncer) August 29, 2026
Of course, none of this makes any sense.
Publishers earn more money on digital purchases, so they’ll be aligned with Sony’s strategy – even if they’re not saying it publicly.
Moreover, Xbox Series X|S skews even more towards digital than the PS5, due to a variety of factors, including Game Pass. Many of Microsoft’s first-party games ship with mandatory downloads – or in some cases, without a disc-based release at all.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma dodged the question in a recent interview.
Meanwhile, Sony has started the process of retraining staff at its physical disc manufacturing facility in Austria, meaning its decision is practically fixed at this point.
And with the rising price of hardware components, console makers will likely be looking to save money wherever they can, meaning the exclusion of a disc drive could help mitigate some of the manufacturing costs.
I just don’t buy this rumour in the slightest, but such is the state of media literacy these days, it’s already spreading like wildfire and racking up the retweets.
Look, I’ll hold my hands up if this all turns out to be true – but I think we’re going to need a better source first.
[source youtube.com, via mp1st.com, x.com]
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As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.