Sony’s reported plan to cease production of new PS5 Blu-ray discs in early 2028 is already reshaping strategies across the gaming industry. According to CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski, the economic advantages of going all-digital are so compelling that many publishers may effectively abandon physical formats well before the official cutoff.
Financial pressures accelerate the timeline
CI Games will still release a physical edition of Lords of the Fallen 2 on disc in 2027, but Tyminski believes Sony’s announcement will make a rapid pivot unavoidable for many developers. He noted that the upcoming launch of GTA 6 in a code-in-box format further signals the market’s direction. In a statement on social media, Tyminski wrote, “Sony ending physical support from 2028 could slash disc releases as early as 2027 or even sooner.”
While Sony remains the manufacturer of Blu-ray media for PS5 titles, individual publishers make the final call on whether a game appears on store shelves. For smaller studios, rising production and distribution costs have made physical profitability exceptionally difficult, and consumer behavior already leans heavily toward the PlayStation Store.
A stark contrast in revenue
Tyminski broke down the financial logic driving the shift. For a standard $69.99 title sold on disc, retailers capture a 25–35% margin and distributors claim another 10–20%. After accounting for additional expenses, the publisher may receive just $26. Moving to a digital-only release can yield up to $49 in revenue per copy. That gap, he argued, makes it impractical to delay the transition until 2028.
Ripple effects on retailers and consumers
The move carries serious consequences for brick-and-mortar retailers. Tyminski highlighted the precarious position of GameStop, noting that even with GTA 6 PS5 pre-orders already live, the chain faces challenges drawing in new customers. More physical stores, he suggested, will likely abandon game sales in favor of collectibles, apparel, and other merchandise.
Amid the publishing industry’s readiness to forge ahead, a portion of the PlayStation community continues to push back. Critics have flooded Sony’s social media channels with negative feedback, and some users report canceling their PS Plus subscriptions in protest. Concerns over ownership rights were recently inflamed when Sony removed 551 purchased movies and TV shows from user libraries. Nevertheless, with publishers focused on profitability, the industry appears set to leave physical PS5 games behind sooner than many fans expected.