Sony has confirmed that it will stop producing physical discs for newly released PlayStation games starting in January 2028. The announcement quickly fueled expectations that the PS6 will follow a fully digital model. At nearly the same time, reports claimed the next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, may also ship without a disc drive, though Microsoft has not confirmed that plan.
Sony moves first with a fixed cutoff date for physical releases
In its July 1 post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony did not frame the change as a proposal or a possibility. It stated directly that new games released on PlayStation platforms will no longer be produced on physical discs from January 2028. That wording gave the market a clear timetable and pushed discussion of an all-digital PS6 into the foreground.
The timing stands out because demand for boxed games has not disappeared. According to the source material, PS5 still sold about 70 million physical games in the previous full fiscal year. Sony is not reacting to a market that has already faded away; it is setting an end date while physical sales are still significant.
Next Xbox report remains unconfirmed, with Disc2Digital in testing
The Xbox story is less settled. Windows Central reporter Jez Corden, citing people familiar with the matter, said the next-generation Xbox under the “Project Helix” codename may not include a disc drive. Even so, the report described the idea as part of internal discussions rather than a final decision, and Xbox has not issued an official statement.
The same report said Microsoft is testing a Disc2Digital feature that would let players convert Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S physical discs into digital entitlements tied to their accounts. Original Xbox and Xbox 360 discs would not be supported, leaving clear limits on backward compatibility.
Player anger centers on ownership, resale, and long-term access
The backlash is tied to more than dislike of digital delivery. Ownership is the main fault line. The source notes that Sony recently removed more than 500 purchased digital items from player accounts, giving fresh weight to complaints that buying a digital copy does not guarantee lasting control over it.
For many players, physical discs still mean resale options, offline access, and some protection if a platform later removes content or shuts services down. That is especially important for buyers who rely on the second-hand market to afford new releases. Existing PS5 models with disc drives can still read owned discs, but if a future console no longer supports them, that concern will remain unresolved.