Sony’s announcement that it plans to completely end the production of physical game discs from 2028 has sparked a major debate across the gaming community, one that has continued for months after the initial reports. Now, one of the company’s most recognizable former executives has joined the conversation.
Shawn Layden, former head of PlayStation in the US and former chairman of Worldwide Studios, who left Sony in 2019, shared a strongly critical view of an entirely digital future during an appearance on the The Expansion Pass podcast.
While Layden acknowledged that he is no longer part of Sony’s management and does not know the financial details or calculations behind such a decision, he believes the move could be a mistake in the long term.
In his view, reducing distribution costs and maximizing profit could come at the expense of PlayStation’s reputation and undermine some of the foundations on which the brand was built.
Losing the most loyal players and the collector mindset
There is no denying the convenience of downloading games digitally. Layden even joked that the biggest inconvenience for modern players was never going to a store to buy a game, but getting off the couch to change the disc in the console.
However, completely eliminating physical releases risks ignoring an important part of the gaming audience.
A significant number of players still prefer physical games, and many of them are among the most dedicated collectors and passionate supporters of the PlayStation brand.
Layden compared gamers to comic book collectors and people who collect rare items, arguing that the desire to build and display a collection has always been an important part of gaming culture.
Some collectors even buy two copies of the same game — one to play and another that remains sealed in its original packaging.
By removing physical media entirely, Sony risks alienating some of the players who form the most dedicated part of its community and who are often among the strongest advocates for its platforms.
If you don’t own the game, what are you actually buying?
Layden believes another potentially dangerous consequence of an all-digital future is the legal and philosophical debate surrounding ownership of digital content.
Moving exclusively to digital distribution changes the way consumers think about purchasing games. Players may increasingly ask whether they are actually buying a game or simply paying for temporary access to a digital product.
If you cannot physically own a game, lend it to a friend or resell it, the traditional idea of purchasing something begins to change.
Once physical alternatives disappear, consumers naturally start thinking about the worst-case scenario — losing access to games they paid for if servers are eventually shut down, services disappear or terms of use change.
Layden argues that this uncertainty could create a serious reputational problem for Sony.
He hopes PlayStation’s leadership has carefully calculated whether the money saved by eliminating physical distribution would truly outweigh the potential damage to consumer trust and the long-term strength of the PlayStation brand.
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