Tokyo, Japan - Sony recently announced that it will soon stop releasing new video games for the PlayStation in physical format, as they believe it's what consumers want.

In a blog post shared on Wednesday, Sid Shuman, Sony's Senior Director of Content Communications, announced a "shift away from physical discs to digital," noting the decision has been driven by "consumer preferences."

"Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only," Shuman wrote.

"This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today," he added.

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The news comes ahead of the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI, which caused some consternation among gamers after Rockstar, the company behind the game, revealed it would not be released on a physical disc.

In recent years, Sony claims data has appeared to show that consumers have been leaning towards digital games. In 2013, when the PS4 launched, only 13% of game sales were digital, but with the PS5, that number has risen to nearly 80% in 2025.

But critics have argued the company has deceptively included things like microtransactions to inflate the data, and have speculated that the next PlayStation will be digital only.

Gamers have heavily criticized the move away from physical games, arguing that consumers will no longer actually own what they purchase and that beloved second-hand and collectable stores will be hit hardest.