The mood is still tense after the planned discontinuation of discs at PlayStation. Lin Tao, Chief Financial Officer of Sony, has now spoken out. While they hear the players, they still want to stick to the plan.
The title image is a symbolic image by Aleksas Stan via Unsplash.
The situation in overview:
- Sony announced on July 1, 2026, that it would discontinue discs for PlayStation. Starting in 2028, no games will be released on physical media.
- The announcement was poorly received on social media. While there was radio silence from PlayStation, every new trailer on YouTube was bombarded with comments about physical versions. Nowadays, almost every new post from PlayStation on X.com receives a community note mentioning a planned “digital monopoly”.
- Some players are now planning a boycott: From August 23 to 30, the console is supposed to stay off. Critics, however, doubt the determination of the fans.
In connection with the earnings call for Q1 2026, Sony’s Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao has now commented on the end of the disc: They are aware of the fans’ feelings, but they still want to stick to their plans.
Even in GTA 6, the physical version no longer includes a disc.
Sony is committed to a digital future
What does Sony say? Through an interpreter, CFO Lin Tao commented on the ongoing backlash. They understand why people have such strong reactions to the plans. However, they have thoroughly thought it through in advance and will continue to pursue this direction:
So when we think about the future – and we have made many considerations and invested time, and thought this through thoroughly – we came to this conclusion, and we will carefully pursue it. And we have received different opinions on this decision, and people have strong feelings about it, and we understand that the community has communicated that to us.
Games are loved by many people. It is a form of entertainment that is cherished by people and is often associated with fond memories. Therefore, we understand these feelings. We want to include that. We want to continue to explore how we can engage players in a future digital ecosystem.
Lin Tao via Kotaku
Tao also explains that there are many reasons for the decision. However, the biggest factor is that digitization has progressed in all areas. This applies not only to PlayStation but also to all kinds of content.
However, a reversal was unlikely from the start, as Sony had already begun to change the main facility for disc production before the announcement.
The statements were made during a Q&A session as part of the quarterly report. An analyst asked Tao how the end of the disc could affect Sony’s relationship with retailers and how they plan to distinguish themselves in a purely digital future.
The CFO explained that for retail, there are regional partners and characteristics. They are in dialogue to achieve a “win-win” for all parties involved. In North America, for instance, retailers might still sell empty boxes with codes. How this might look in Europe, and specifically in Germany, is still unknown.
As for the PC, Tao does not see the disc as the determining factor. Rather, there is a completely different way to play on PC. PlayStation hardware will ultimately prevail due to affordability.
How could Sony engage you in a “future digital ecosystem“? Let us know in the comments.
For many players, the end of the disc is yet another sign that there is an ever-widening gap between Sony/PlayStation and the player base. Why else would they spend millions on live service games if fans only want Bloodborne for PC? But not everyone sees the decision so critically. MeinMMO demon Cortyn says: Everyone complains about the end of discs – For me, this future can’t come fast enough
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