Sony’s decision to stop producing physical game discs for new PlayStation releases from January 2028 has understandably raised concerns that digital games could become more expensive. With physical retailers and the second-hand market no longer competing with the PlayStation Store, the expectation is that publishers will have less reason to offer discounts.
However, former Square Enix business development director Jacob Navok thinks the opposite could happen. He argues that getting rid of physical games could actually make digital PlayStation games cheaper over time.
More Competition On The PS Store
Navok’s argument is that current digital game prices are still closely tied to physical retail pricing. Once discs disappear, he believes publishers will instead have to compete more directly with each other on the PlayStation Store, potentially leading to more aggressive discounts as games get older.
He pointed to Final Fantasy XVI on Steam as an example, where its price has fallen significantly since launch. According to Navok, it is competition between publishers, rather than competition between storefronts, that ultimately drives prices down over a game’s lifecycle.
Navok also pushed back against the idea that Sony directly controls game prices on the PS Store. Publishers set their own prices, he argued, with Sony effectively operating the platform as a marketplace. Competition between storefronts such as Steam and the Epic Games Store, meanwhile, primarily affects how much revenue publishers keep rather than what consumers pay.
Still Too Early To Tell
This is a notably more optimistic take than the backlash surrounding Sony’s decision. Sony has reaffirmed that it will end physical disc production for new games from 2028, while some PS5 packaging has already begun warning buyers that new releases will eventually be digital-only.
The move is still a major gamble for consumers, particularly since physical retail and second-hand games provide another source of discounts. But if Navok is right, the disappearance of discs could eventually push publishers to compete more aggressively on digital pricing, potentially making the PlayStation Store cheaper rather than more expensive.
