Sony ending PlayStation discs "was always going to happen," says analyst, as the PS6 costing $1,000 would "limit your audience quite significantly"

Sony's reported shift toward an all-digital PlayStation ecosystem appears tied to managing consumer perception around rising hardware costs. Industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls suggests the move serves a dual purpose: eliminating physical media infrastructure allows Sony to justify premium pricing while framing the transition as industry progress rather than pure cost-pushing. A hypothetical PS6 priced at $1,000 would face significant market resistance, making the digital-only model a softer landing for steep price increases than asking players to accept both a disc drive and that sticker shock simultaneously.

The trade-off reflects a broader tension in the industry. While the approach benefits Sony's bottom line and supply chain efficiency, it accelerates the erosion of game ownership, locking players into digital storefronts and licensing agreements rather than physical copies they control outright.