- During the Q&A in the FY2026 Q1 investor call, Sony’s CFO clarifies that it already has a disc replacement planned.
- The company will offer codes in a box in North America, following in Rockstar’s footsteps with GTA 6.
- It might follow with similar solutions worldwide, depending on retailers in other regions.
Controversy surrounding Sony’s decision to cancel discs has evolved in the past weeks, with some reports even suggesting PlayStation was employing bots to defend its decision. Player backlash has persisted across every social media post the company has made thus far.
During the Q&A session in the FY2026 Q1 investor call, Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao claims the company will continue to sell boxed editions of games after 2028. However, these boxed editions will come with one-time redeemable codes instead of tangible discs.
Why it matters: Sony is already planning to continue selling boxed editions of games even after cancelling first-party discs in 2028. These editions with codes will still prove to be valuable collector’s items for gamers who can look past having physical discs.
During the webcast, Lin Tao implies that Sony will follow in Rockstar’s footsteps with GTA 6 regarding their physical edition of games.
The boxed editions would only be sold in North America, where discs are already mostly phased out. However, other regions could see similar solutions depending on local retail partners.
In North America, this has already happened, without discs in the package there is a code included, that is how they sell in North America. For each regional partner, we try to have thorough dialogues so that we can end up in a win-win situation.
-Sony CFO, Lin Tao.
Sony also acknowledged the harsh response against its move to end discs, with Lin explaining that the intense player backlash has had zero effect on its overall business. Therefore, it won’t change the strategy but will cautiously move forward with the plan.
Lastly, Lin Tao clarifies that discs are not a big factor of differentiation between the PS5 and PC, thanks to PlayStation’s curated content, stable gaming ecosystem, and more affordable hardware offerings compared to high-end PC builds.
Do you think Sony’s new replacement for discs will hold up well with gamers who were against disc cancellation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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