Sony's decision to cease releasing physical game editions from 2028 continues to spark controversy. The British Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) stated that demand for disc-based games remains high.
The head of the organization, Kim Bayley, sharply criticized the company's decision:
Every year, millions of players choose physical copies because they value true ownership of the game. A disc can be lent to family, resold, collected, kept for years, and continue to be used. A digital license often does not offer any of these possibilities.
According to Nielsen, in 2025, 45% of all physical games sold in the UK were for PS5 and PS4. This accounts for almost half of the revenue of the entire British boxed game market, which was approximately £300 million (nearly $400 million) last year.
The ERA believes that digital distribution should complement physical media, not replace it.
The industry should support all legitimate ways to buy games, rather than restricting consumer choice. Digital distribution should complement physical media, not eliminate it. Abandoning discs is not progress, but depriving players of choice.