Abandoning discs will hit PlayStation gamers' wallets. Research shows a significant price difference

Research has shown that physical editions of PlayStation games can cost up to 50 euros less than digital versions in the PlayStation Store.

Sony's decision to abandon physical game editions has once again sparked controversy. The reason was a study by the Dutch portal Tweakers, according to which disc versions of PlayStation games can cost 50 euros less than digital copies in the PlayStation Store.

The authors compared game prices in retail stores and Sony's digital store. According to their data, boxed editions are regularly sold significantly cheaper, while the PlayStation Store maintains high prices for a long time and only periodically holds large sales.

Saros is cited as an example: the digital version costs 79.99 euros, while the physical edition can be purchased for 55–70 euros. The difference is even more noticeable for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth — 59.99 euros in the PS Store versus 24.90 euros for the boxed version on sale.

A similar situation is observed with God of War Ragnarök, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Gran Turismo 7, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

According to the authors of the study, a complete transition to digital distribution could weaken price competition and make players more dependent on PlayStation Store prices.