New PS5 Boxes Warn That Game Discs Will Disappear in 2028

Sony has started warning PlayStation 5 buyers that newly released games will no longer come on physical discs starting in January 2028. The notice now appears on retail packaging for the 1TB PS5 model with a disc drive.

The multilingual warning states that new PlayStation games released after the deadline will only be available as digital downloads. Sony has also added the notice to its official PS5 product and purchasing pages.

Sony moves ahead with disc phase-out

The packaging update shows that Sony is moving forward with its controversial plan to retire physical PlayStation game discs.

The company previously responded to criticism and indicated that it would not reverse the decision.

Sony’s latest sales figures may help explain the shift. The company recently reported that digital purchases accounted for 82% of PlayStation game sales in Q1 FY2026.

Retailers will sell download licenses

Retailers can continue selling newly released PlayStation games after January 2028. However, boxed products will contain digital download licenses instead of playable discs.

Adding the warning to new PS5 packaging gives buyers of the disc-drive model less than two years’ notice about the change.

Games released before January 2028 will remain available and supported on disc. Existing physical games, store inventory, and personal collections will not be affected.

PS5 disc drives will also continue reading compatible games after the deadline. The change only applies to games released once the new policy takes effect.

Future console support remains unclear

Sony has not explained whether its next-generation PlayStation hardware will support existing physical PS5 libraries.

The packaging only confirms that current disc-based PS5 consoles will continue playing compatible titles released before January 2028. Sony has not yet confirmed physical backward compatibility for future consoles.

Via VideoCardz