Recently, Sony's PlayStation China official website was updated, announcing the discontinuation of physical game disc sales in 2028.
Sony's official PlayStation China website has added an important notice to the PS5 purchase page, stating that starting January 2028, newly released PlayStation games will be sold exclusively in digital format. The official statement also mentions that physical discs for games released before January 2028 will remain playable.
Foreign media disclosed yesterday that Sony is determined to shut down its physical disc production lines. One of the core considerations is that the comprehensive costs associated with the entire physical disc supply chain are simply too high, offering far less profit margin for publishers compared to purely digital versions.
The latest industry report provides a very intuitive calculation: for a standard-priced $70 console game, discontinuing physical discs alone would allow game developers to save approximately $10.5 per copy sold, which is roughly equivalent to 70 RMB in cost savings.
Industry insiders familiar with console game settlement rules further revealed that publishers must pay Sony or Microsoft a service fee equivalent to 15% to 20% of the game's suggested retail price for any physical discs produced for retail channels. This fee covers the entire chain of costs, including disc production, encryption certification, and channel distribution.
Based on the current mainstream price of $70 for AAA games, selling each physical disc requires paying the platform provider $10.5, equivalent to about 70 RMB. For blockbuster titles like GTA6 priced at $80, this corresponding expense rises to $12, or approximately 80 RMB.