PlayStation Ends Physical Disc Production for New Games Starting January 2028, Threatening $7.2B Resale Market

According to PlayStation's official announcement on July 1, 2026, Sony will permanently discontinue physical disc production for all new PlayStation console games at the end of 2027. Starting January 2028, newly released titles will be available exclusively through digital purchase on the PlayStation Store. Boxed physical versions, if sold, will contain only download codes rather than discs.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly among the first games to adopt this digital-only model. The move directly impacts the second-hand gaming market, which Dataintelo estimates was valued at $7.2 billion in 2025. Without physical discs, gamers will lose the ability to resell, trade in, lend, or preserve games after digital storefronts close, effectively eliminating the used games economy for future releases.