Sony announced in July: physical discs for new games end by 2028. Some 385,000 people signed the "Don't Kill the Disc" petition. Sony hasn't flinched.
Shawn Layden, former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, said it best on The Expansion Pass:
"If you can't sell a thing, you don't own a thing. What are you buying — access? That doesn't sound quite as sexy."
The awkward part: Sony is simultaneously arguing in a California court that no reasonable consumer ever believed they owned PlayStation Store purchases. Just a license. That's their defense against a class action claiming otherwise.
Layden's reminder: the ~20% still buying physical are the most devoted fans — two copies per game, one sealed, one played. Those are exactly the people you don't ghost.
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