Report: PlayStation to Stop Game Disc Production as Sony Shifts Focus

A fresh report tied to Sony’s manufacturing footprint in Austria claims PlayStation has been steering away from physical game releases for a while, with internal preparation already underway for new kinds of work at a key plant.

In a choice being described as among the most divisive decisions the company has made, PlayStation has announced it will stop producing game discs starting in early 2028. That effectively means the platform’s releases will become fully digital in less than two years, and the reaction has been predictably brutal.

Once the news broke, PlayStation’s social accounts attempted to defuse the moment with a joking reference to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Instead, players largely pushed for clarification—and any sign the company might reconsider. Reports from Sony’s Austrian operation suggest this shift has been underway for a long time, making a reversal feel unlikely.

PlayStation Has Reportedly Been Planning All-Digital For “Some Time”

Staff At An Austrian Production Facility Are Already Being Trained On Other Work

ORF Salzburg recently published details claiming Sony’s facility in Thalgau, Austria—run as part of its production network—has been aware of the upcoming end of disc manufacturing for “quite some time” and has been preparing actively. The report also states that the Thalgau assembly line produces about 600,000 discs, which accounts for roughly half of the plant’s total output.

Because of PlayStation’s decision to stop disc production, the report projects that the share of disc-related output would fall to around ten percent of total volume by 2028.

At the moment, the plant employs 300 people. Workers were informed about the plan on Wednesday, and Sony CEO of DADC, Dietmar Tanzer, reportedly said layoffs are not expected.

Even so, a steep reduction in disc output—from the current scale down toward a small fraction—raises eyebrows about how smoothly the transition will be managed from a practical and financial standpoint.

The report’s most notable details go beyond the end date. It suggests that “changes have been in the works for some time,” which lines up with the scale of the manufacturing pivot being required. Sony invested around €30 million in updated technology for producing optical microlenses at the Thalgau plant, and employees are said to have already been reassigned with plans to retrain them extensively.

While this is only one location within Sony’s wider production network, the information implies PlayStation is unlikely to back away from moving away from physical disc production, even if the backlash grows louder. If you were hoping the company might respond to fan frustration with a course correction, this report points in the opposite direction—toward an all-digital future.

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