Gamers were previously hailing 2026 as a renaissance for games, but the latest news from Rockstar Games and PlayStation has killed all hope for the future.
On 1 July, PlayStation issued an update on the future of physical games. From 2028 onwards, the company will no longer manufacture discs for new games. Sony communications director Sid Shuman confirmed that “physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028”. After that, PlayStation games will be available only through the online PlayStation Store, while retail copies sold in stores will be offered “in digital formats only”.
This not only gives us an idea of when the PlayStation 6 will launch, but also what it’ll be.
According to Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games research at Ampere Analysis, this “almost certainly guarantees that the PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest”. Ampere’s current expectation is that the console will launch at the end of 2028. Harding-Rolls added that PS6 will now “at a minimum” not feature a disc drive. “Sony will be looking for all the ways it can reduce the cost of its next-gen console, and this is an easy win”. It’s possible that an add-on disc drive could be made available to play older PS4 and PS5 games on disc.
Like clockwork, the gaming community rightfully fired back at PlayStation, arguing that physical games should always be an option, especially when digital licences can be pulled or deactivated at any time. Gaming journalist Vikki Blake called it a “body blow to consumer rights” and “a massive problem for gamers with lower disposable incomes who rely on part-exchanging or loaning games from friends to keep up with the AAA price tags”. Many claimed they won’t bother buying a PS6 if it’s going to be 100% digital, with some even saying they’d switch entirely to PC gaming.
The $80 Precedent
It’s the price of GTA 6 that’s worrying us, though, and it should worry you too. Rockstar Games is setting a dangerous precedent that’s going to make the next-generation even more bleak than it’s already looking.
Standard copies of GTA 6 are confirmed to cost $79.99, with the Ultimate Edition costing $99.99. That’s a $10 increase over the $70 norm that has been standard for AAA releases this generation. While lower than the $100 price point some had predicted, analysts agree it’s opened the floodgates.
“The $80 price tag for GTA 6 makes charging higher prices much easier for other AAA game publishers,” agreed Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of consultancy firm Kantan Games, “exactly because it is such a big release”. Industry analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana noted that “more games will start pushing towards the higher end of the price spectrum”, while Gareth Sutcliffe of Enders Analysis said Rockstar has effectively set a new $80 ceiling for AAA titles.
Joost van Dreunen, games professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, told Reuters that GTA 6 “doesn’t lift all prices but widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots”. Any players scared off by its $80 price tag amounts to “a rounding error against the anticipation”.
A Perfect Storm
PlayStation shelving its physical production makes matters much worse. Gone will be the days of the second-hand market or borrowing a game from your friend. If a new game comes out and is a little too rich for your blood, you won’t be able to walk into a game shop and get it cheaper. You also won’t be able to track down a used copy.
Soon, there’ll be no escaping $80 price tags, or whatever alternative sum publishers want to charge for their new games. You’ll have to wait for them to go on sale, and if it’s a brand-new release, you shouldn’t expect a discount until several months after launch.
Also, Read
- GTA 6 Confirmed As Cheapest Franchise Entry To Date In Unexpected Turn Of Events
- GTA 6 Disc Editions Hopes Crushed By Rockstar Source – No Physical Disc, Not Even Months After Launch
- GTA 6 Screenshots Stoke Fire Into Bizarre Red Dead Redemption Crossover Theory
GTA VI’s price reveal and PlayStation’s digital-only proclamation have been a severe back-to-back blow for the industry. The whole thing is a mess, and we’re counting down the days until Xbox announces it’ll be doing the same.
Nintendo, on the other hand, has done what Nintendo does best: stay out of the drama and keep doing its own thing. Classic Nintendo.