Sony stops PlayStation discs in 2028, Shawn Layden reacts
Sony would stop producing physical PlayStation discs for new games from January 2028. Former boss Shawn Layden criticizes the move.
- Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden criticized the decision in an appearance on The Expansion Pass podcast and said he was not in the room when it was made.
- Layden said digital downloads are convenient, but argued that removing discs entirely ignores players who still buy physical media.
What happened
Sony is being linked in multiple sources to a plan to stop producing physical discs for new games on PlayStation consoles from January 2028. In the available context, this is tied to a PlayStation Blog post stating that production of physical game discs for new releases on PlayStation consoles will end.
IGN then reported on comments from Shawn Layden, the former head of PlayStation. He spoke on The Expansion Pass podcast about Sony’s direction and said he was not in the room when the decision was made. According to the summary of his remarks, Layden believes digital convenience does not automatically make physical releases obsolete.
Layden described the split as roughly 80 percent of players downloading games and 20 percent not doing so. In his view, those physical buyers still matter, because they are often loyal customers who may even buy two copies of a game.
Timeline
1 July 2026: according to the available context, Sony publishes a PlayStation Blog post saying production of physical game discs for new PlayStation games will end from January 2028.
2026: IGN publishes an article in which Shawn Layden criticizes Sony’s decision to end discs.
2026: The Expansion Pass podcast is mentioned as the place where Layden made his comments about the future of physical games.
January 2028: the stated date when production of physical discs for new PlayStation games would end.
Background
Shawn Layden previously served as chairman of PlayStation Studios and former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America. In the supplied sources, he is presented as someone with direct experience inside PlayStation, which gives extra weight to his comments on the shift toward digital.
The core of his criticism is the difference between convenience and ownership. In the supplied summary, Layden says digital downloads are handy, but that removing discs entirely is the wrong move for players who still value physical media.
Related GAME-scanner articles
Sources
- IGN: "If You Can't Own It, What Are You Buying?" – Former PlayStation Boss Questions Sony's Decision to Kill Discs
- PlayStation Blog context in the supplied sources: physical disc production for new PlayStation games from January 2028
- The Expansion Pass podcast, as mentioned in the supplied context