PlayStation Ends Disc Manufacturing in 2028, Sparking Backlash From Fans

The news that PlayStation plans to end game disc manufacturing in January 2028 hasn’t landed well with parts of the gaming community that still care about physical ownership. For many players, the shift feels less like a future convenience update and more like another step away from long-term preservation.

The Video Game History Foundation weighed in with a statement that, while disappointing, also isn’t entirely surprising. The group pointed out that the industry has been moving away from “real” physical media for years. Even when discs are sold, a number of releases still push players toward downloading content online, and some major titles—such as Grand Theft Auto 6—aren’t being produced on disc at all. The foundation framed the moment as a chance for the industry to do more to protect games for the future.

“What continues to baffle us is what the industry expects institutions like ours to do about it,” the organization said. “If platform holders are choosing to remove physical media and older digital storefront access, then we’d also like to see trade groups like the Entertainment Software Association put forward real options for archives and museums to legally preserve digital-only content and keep it available for study.”

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The foundation added that the problem isn’t just the loss of discs—it’s what happens after access changes. It criticized the idea of leaving preservation up to museums and similar groups that would have to obtain and maintain copies under increasingly restrictive digital systems. “Everyone agrees this is a serious problem, but the ESA has repeatedly resisted efforts by cultural heritage groups to revise digital copy protection rules so this work can actually be done,” the organization said. “The industry needs to show up in a meaningful way here, because telling museums to download a copy of Grand Theft Auto VI and hope it still runs in 50 years isn’t a preservation plan.”

Lost in Cult, a boutique gaming publisher and advocate for physical releases, also released a statement. The company said it was “deeply saddened” by PlayStation’s decision, but it plans to do what it can to keep video games preserved.

“As a company on a mission to preserve video games, we are deeply saddened by the recent news from PlayStation on ending physical disc production from 2028,” Lost in Cult said. “We aim to do everything in our power to preserve video games to the best of our ability and will continue to do so for as long as we can.”

DRM-free PC storefront GOG also joined the conversation, emphasizing that it doesn’t strip away access just because a game disappears from its store catalog. Even when a title is delisted, the store’s library access remains intact.

Even if a game vanishes from the GOG storefront, it never leaves your library.

Exactly as digital ownership ought to be.

Meanwhile, retailer chatter added another layer to the day’s physical-versus-digital tension. GameStop became part of the discussion after sharing a customer trade-in photo: an Xbox 360 collection being exchanged for more than $1,000 in in-store credit. The credit was reportedly used to buy a batch of PS5 games. Predictably, many responses focused on the contrast in the situation, along with criticism that the trade value for such a large stack of games appeared relatively low.

A GameStop Customer in Columbus, Ohio traded his old Xbox 360 collection for over $1,000 in store credit. Left with new PS5 games and very happy! pic.twitter.com/h6ihTeVlxz

That wasn’t the only twist in the conversation. A separate report claimed that Microsoft’s next Xbox may not include a disc drive, alongside suggestions that the company is exploring ways to digitize physical game libraries. With PlayStation’s disc timeline and this new Xbox chatter both in the air, it’s been a difficult week for players who prefer physical media—leaving many wondering what preservation will look like on the next generation of consoles.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.