Sony's plans to completely abandon physical game releases have sparked heated debate about the future of the gaming industry. Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners, compared this move to Apple's decision in 2008 to remove optical drives from its laptops.
At the time, users were massively outraged by the disappearance of CD and DVD support – today, digital distribution has become the norm. He believes that a similar scenario awaits consoles, where digital sales account for the majority of the market.
Ahmad noted that about 80% of PlayStation game sales are digital versions. On Xbox, this figure exceeds 90%. More than half of new PS5 consoles are sold without a disc drive.
According to the analyst, abandoning physical media will allow publishers to cut costs, increase profits, and virtually eliminate the secondary market. Amid forecasts that the PS6 could cost over $1000, Sony will bet on the most loyal customers and higher margins from digital sales.
In conclusion, Ahmad ironically remarked: if players absolutely need discs, their device remains the current PS5.