July 2, 2026, 3:03 pm | Read time: 8 minutes
These are turbulent times for lovers of physical media, like myself, and it feels like every other day I have reason to either rejoice or despair. The latter is the reason for this text, as I currently want to curse the clouds and the universe, and later I’ll take a dive into my sea of shed tears. I really think I’m about to cry! Why? Sony has announced that it will soon stop producing gaming Blu-rays for the PlayStation. Another nail in the coffin for the medium. But that’s not all.
Nail in the Coffin 1 – Sony Stops Gaming Blu-rays
The news has sent shockwaves through the industry: On July 1, 2026, Sony announced on its official blog that it will cease production of gaming Blu-rays for new titles in January 2028. The company cites “changing consumer preferences” as the reason. Customers and the “entire entertainment industry” are increasingly moving toward digital content.
After the deadline, Sony will offer games only through digital distribution. The company calls the decision a “natural step” to adapt to current trends. “This transition will allow us to better tailor our offerings to the way the majority of our community prefers to access and play games today.”
Everyone Is Shocked–Even Domino’s Pizza
The news is not being well received, as seen in numerous online posts on the topic. Several companies have already responded with statements. The label iam8bit, which specializes in physical media for video games, merchandise, and vinyl records, wrote on Instagram that it is “deeply disappointed” by Sony’s decision.
“Physical games are important for the preservation of games, ownership, and consumer choice,” it states. This stance will not change. “Long live physical media,” the post concludes. The similarly focused label Mutant also wrote on Instagram: “Physical media forever.” They published a picture with PS5 games next to a cap that says “Physical Media” in English (I have the same cap, just in a different color).
Reactions are also coming from unexpected quarters. Domino’s Pizza released two posts on the topic, mixing irony and regret. In one post, they commented, “They took Blockbuster [the video rental chain, ed.] from us. Now the game shelves.” And in an “official statement,” they promise to respond to “trends in the gaming industry” by baking only digital pizzas starting April 1, 2027. Customers can simply use their imagination to enjoy them.
Also interesting: Editor on Blu-rays and DVDs – “Did I Cry Too Soon?”
Nail in the Coffin 2 – Is Xbox Next?
As if that wasn’t enough, the next bombshell dropped the same day. According to “Gamesindustry.biz,” Microsoft is reportedly considering eliminating optical drives for future Xbox consoles, which would end the use of gaming Blu-rays.
This aligns with rumors that they are considering a new feature to digitize physical game copies, allowing them to be played on hardware without a drive. Specific details on how this would work are unknown. However, it seems Microsoft wants to encourage its gaming community to give up discs altogether.
Nail in the Coffin 3 – GTA 6 Only as Download
Shortly before the announcements from Sony and Xbox, it was revealed that GTA 6, arguably the biggest new game release ever, will only be available as a download. Even the physical edition contains only a download code in the packaging.
Since the game is guaranteed to become a million-seller thanks to pre-orders months before its release, this decision will only further fuel the decline of gaming Blu-rays.
Gaming Blu-rays at the Limit
As much as I am an advocate for physical media of all kinds, I must also admit that the gaming Blu-ray is almost at its technical limit. While there are still plenty of titles that fit entirely on a disc and sell well (such as “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”), there are also many games that simply do not fit on a standard Blu-ray. A game like GTA 6 would likely exceed the storage capacity significantly. Or a more complex disc with more data layers would need to be produced.
Furthermore, patches and DLCs are only released digitally, making a disc redundant afterward. If the game relies on downloads for optimal status anyway, the disc is no longer needed beforehand.
The technical advantage that physical media offers for movies, series, and music does not exist for games, as colleague Oliver Nickel from “Golem” argues. And then downloads are faster, more convenient, cheaper, and more sustainable in production, so why am I even sad? In reference to “Fack ju Göhte,” someone could just tell me: “Mo, cry quieter!”
Editor on Blu-rays and DVDs: “Did I Cry Too Soon?”
TECHBOOK Editor on the End of Blu-Ray: “I Just Want to Cry”
I Love the PlayStation, but I Don’t Trust Sony
It may also be that due to the frequent linking of online accounts, it is no longer so easy to simply exchange purchased games with each other. But why should I just accept that?
I borrowed “Doom Eternal” from my friend Tobi back then, and I bought “Expedition 33,” the Game of the Year 2025, from Siggi. Lending and reselling still work wonderfully offline. And they could in the future if developers provide the right products.
Colleague Nickel writes that the secondary market could also work digitally, as shown by the online store Good Old Games. But the question is: Will Sony offer something like that? So far, they show no signs of doing so. Quite the opposite: Recently, the manufacturer deleted more than 500 streaming movies, allegedly due to expired licenses. The fact that many users had actually purchased these hardly matters anymore today–digital ownership simply no longer exists.
And before anyone says those were “just” streaming movies: The initiative “Stop Destroying Videogames” doesn’t exist just for fun.
Sony Betrays Itself
I’ve already addressed this topic in my previous comments on Blu-ray and the mentioned initiative. But it’s best to quote my friend Michael, who suggested the following headline on the topic: “Sony Abolishes Ownership of Games.”
Starting in 2028, PlayStation users will have to worry that their purchased games may one day simply become unplayable because a server is shut down or some license expires. And if Sony doesn’t at least find a way to allow online resale or lending of games by then, I see nothing but darkness. It would be tantamount to betraying their own cause.
When the Xbox One was introduced in 2013, the need for a constant internet connection did not win any friends. The fact that lending would no longer be possible due to the stronger digital focus was also met with disapproval. Sony promptly responded with a brilliant commercial showing how easy it was to exchange games on the PS4:
But how times change. Back then, they believed they had the advantage over the competition and were morally superior thanks to physical game copies. Unsurprisingly, the 13-year-old video is now receiving many new comments. “You’ve become the villain you mocked,” reads one disappointed post. Even better: “It’s like watching the wedding video after the divorce.”
All Art Is Preserved, Except Games
The dwindling concept of ownership through purchase is one thing. But when a game is digitally “deleted,” it’s not just gone for new purchases, but also for posterity. And games are artworks, no question. This is not a matter of pragmatic considerations like cost and distribution, but one of cultural appreciation.
Don’t games also deserve to be preserved for eternity? Who wants to commit to that? Various game museums thrive on the fact that something physical has been preserved over the years: the old C64. Or the one game cartridge of Super Mario Bros. Due to its already immense relevance, GTA 6 also belongs in a museum one day–but as of now, probably only in the form of a framed download code.
Couldn’t There Be a Compromise?
Sony essentially justifies its decision by saying that physical game copies are playing an increasingly smaller role. Nevertheless, there is still an enthusiastic audience for discs, including gaming Blu-rays: “Expedition 33” was temporarily sold out, and “Resident Evil Requiem” received so many pre-orders that the disc version was sold out before launch. I also left my trusted Media Markt empty-handed.
In the film sector, elegant special editions have established themselves as collector’s items, and 4K Blu-rays are still in demand. Couldn’t something similar be done with games? Sony and other major publishers could license the production of selected physical editions to labels like iam8bit and profit from it without having to make the effort themselves. If not with mass production, then at least give us fans a few small specials.
At least not everything is catastrophic in the land of Blu-rays. At least in the film sector, fans are still vehemently resisting their demise. The enthusiast scene is growing, especially among the younger generation, and there are indeed increasing sales to report: At Key Production Group, which also manufactures DVDs and Blu-rays, there has been a recent surge in sales–a staggering 10,000 percent. Still, I will miss new gaming discs in the future. So, I’m off to cry. Sob.