Ubisoft says Sony's 2028 disc shutdown won't disrupt market

Sony's planned transition away from physical game discs for PlayStation consoles is drawing mixed reactions from within the video game industry, with major publisher Ubisoft expressing a notably optimistic view. On Thursday, July 23, during the company's quarterly earnings call, Ubisoft executives were asked about potential impacts from Sony's January 2028 cessation of new disc production, particularly regarding the loss of a secondary market for used games. Chief Financial Officer Frédérick Duguet, echoing comments attributed elsewhere to CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot, stated the company does not foresee significant disruption.

Duguet pointed to the personal computer gaming market as a precedent, where digital storefronts like Steam have become dominant. "What we saw on the PC is that it helped to grow the market," he said. He added that a future without physical disc drives could contribute to more affordably priced console hardware. "There are plus and minus, but we think it will not disturb too much the industry," Duguet concluded.

The commentary arrives as Ubisoft reported its first-quarter financial results, which showed a year-over-year decline in net bookings. The...