Sony’s physical game exit could make the PS6 price more affordable

Sony’s reported plans to phase out support for new physical PlayStation discs have sparked plenty of backlash, but one industry analyst believes the move was always likely to happen. With the PlayStation 6 potentially arriving with a price tag of around $1,000 / €860 / £740, Sony could use the extra revenue from digital games and PlayStation Plus to help subsidize its next-generation console.

The shift away from physical games has understandably been criticized as another way for Sony to squeeze more money out of PlayStation owners. However, industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls sees another side to the argument. Speaking to Edge Magazine in an interview reported by GamesRadar+, he suggested that dropping disc support could ultimately give Sony more room to manage the PS6’s price.

Physical games come with manufacturing, printing, distribution, and shipping costs, all of which take a cut from the money generated by each sale. Digital games, meanwhile, allow Sony and publishers to keep a larger share of the revenue. Sony also takes a 30% cut from digital purchases made through the PlayStation Store, giving it another major incentive to push players toward downloads.

That could become particularly important as the cost of producing gaming hardware continues to rise. AI data centers and ongoing memory shortages are already putting pressure on the electronics industry, and those problems could make the PS6 considerably more expensive to manufacture.

Harding-Rolls believes a $1,000 starting price could severely restrict the PS6’s audience. Removing a disc drive would only lower the manufacturing cost to a limited extent, meaning Sony could have to subsidize the console more aggressively than it did with the PS5.

The timing could also make sense. Harding-Rolls expects Sony to end support for new physical PlayStation releases around early 2028, roughly when the PS6 generation could begin. Rather than gradually phasing out discs throughout the PS5 era, Sony could make a clean break when its next console launches.

From Sony’s perspective, the numbers are certainly appealing. Digital sales provide higher margins and give the company greater control over pricing. For players, however, the transition comes with fewer choices, potentially leaving them to decide between accepting an all-digital ecosystem or paying whatever premium Sony eventually demands for physical media support.

As always, for the latest news on PlayStation, next-generation consoles, digital gaming trends, and developments across the gaming industry, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.