Sony clarifies physical PS5 games will still be supported after 2028

Sony says it will keep supporting physical PlayStation games after January 2028, but the fine print narrows that promise considerably. According to a report from Game File, Sony has quietly told partner publishers and retailers that "support" means two specific things going forward, and neither one means new disc-based games as fans know them today.

According to reports, there are reportedly two classes: reorders of games in physical form which had been previously released before January 2028 and ordering non-disc physical inventories.

The second class is somewhat unclear, but Sony could use the same code in a box format which is used for the physical edition of GTA 6 or go for other solutions, such as physical gift cards. In any case, large retail boxes based on a pressed disc might cease to become the standard option completely.

Since Sony's wording talks about reordering whatever was released prior to this date, any PS5 or PS4 game in disc format which appears in store by the end of 2027 could technically continue being reprinted for many more years.

Sony is not stopping production of discs in January 2028 but rather the creation of new disc-based retail SKUs.

The physical PS5 copies are initially created using the digital master image that is approved and used by the licensed replicators for pressing retail discs, and Sony demands that publishers use the SIE-approved manufacturers.

This way, Sony manages to charge licensing fees on all physical copies, regulate packaging, quality control, and anti-piracy measures, and also allows the company to stop producing any disc copies unilaterally regardless of the complaints from Sony’s own developers.

However, the public outrage from gamers regarding this decision being against consumers will not have much impact on Sony's schedule but may affect the final look of “non-disc physical inventory” in stores.