The bumper-sized Friday letters page comes to terms with PlayStation’s all-digital future, as a reader embraces the death of physical media.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
The modern age
Excellent article yesterday on Sony’s ridiculous pivot to all-digital games.
It articulated exactly what I thought when I read the news; Sony, Microsoft et al. have already won the digital vs. physical war with only a small and ever-shrinking number of gamers still bothering with discs, so why commit to all this bad publicity and force it on people?
(I also have no doubt Microsoft will follow suit with their next console.)
I have mostly moved over too and have a disc-less Xbox Series S, but I’ll admit miss being able to run into CeX or go online to pick up physical discs for the machine and often do for Switch and PlayStation 4/5
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But, of course, the worst aspect, as well as not having to compete on price with Amazon etc., is that we don’t even own the games, and these products we paid for can just be taken away.
In fact, there was a good example of just that recently, with Sony announcing that a bunch of films and TV shows available for sale on PlayStation will now be removed, with owners unable to access them again.
Couple this with the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita store closures, as you mentioned, and the whole thing feels like just such a PR blunder from PlayStation; we already sleepwalked into basically an all-digital set up, but this is basically telling us we have to now, rather than giving an option that only a tiny group ever avail themselves of.
All this and I didn’t even mention the fact that many people on Earth only have access to incredibly slow and unreliable internet or have no access at all, what are they to do?
I usually try and avoid the whole ‘gaming’s getting worse and the golden age is behind us’ narrative, but this is an absolute stinker of a decision and I’m probably going to jettison the consoles for a PC/Nintendo set-up.
After all, PlayStation games will be available to me via emulation if I’m patient enough, so why shouldn’t I just do that? At least in that situation I can’t just wake up one day and find out my games library has been rendered unplayable.
Anyway, rant over. How ’bout that new Metroid leak? Exciting times!
ANON
Expensive option
I don’t really understand all the fuss about the move to digital games. Personally, I find buying digitally much more convenient and often cheaper. The reality is that even many physical games haven’t contained the complete game for years. In some cases, the disc is little more than an installation key, with huge downloads required anyway.
Games also benefit from post-launch patches, bug fixes, and new content, something that simply isn’t possible if the version on the disc is treated as final. If Sony really is planning to phase out physical games from 2028, I can understand the reasoning. Consoles are becoming increasingly expensive to develop and manufacture, and continuing to support both physical and digital formats means designing, producing, and maintaining hardware for a feature that fewer people use each year.
If focusing on digital-only hardware helps reduce complexity and keep console prices lower, that seems like a sensible business decision. Some people seem determined to turn back the clock, but I don’t think that’s realistic. Every technology evolves. I’m sure there were people who missed the horse and cart when the automobile arrived, but progress carried on regardless.
As for the argument that digital-only gaming somehow justifies piracy, I don’t buy it. Piracy has existed for as long as games have, including when physical media dominated the market. The excuses may change, but the act itself doesn’t. Saying that publishers have gone digital doesn’t suddenly make copying games without paying acceptable.
Digital isn’t perfect, and there are valid discussions to be had about ownership and preservation, but I think the direction of travel is inevitable. As long as companies continue to improve consumer rights and make digital ownership as reliable as possible, I think the move away from physical media is a sensible and understandable evolution.
Luke
GC: It’s hard drives that have shot up in price, not disc drives. The irony is that making a console disc-only would greatly decrease the cost of it.
Not upset, just disappointed
I can’t say that I’m surprised about the news about Sony deciding to only sell games digitally in 18 months from now.
I am, however, bitterly disappointed. I think PlayStation 5 will likely be my last PlayStation console.
Frankly, I was already struggling to figure out how I’d ever afford or justify a console that costs £,1000. On top, I wouldn’t be surprised if the standard for PlayStation 6 era games is £80 or even £90 RRP. To then not have the luxury of being able to shop around for the best deal, or buy second-hand or trade in for new games, is likely the final nail in the coffin.
I’m not completely averse to the idea of digital-only platforms and own a Legion Go. However, PC owners like myself have the option of multiple storefronts, such as Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Fanantical, and Humble. I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than £30 for any game and many just a few quid. Sony, on the other hand, will have a monopoly. Some of the digital prices are frankly ridiculous and often games that are years old are still full price. Even during PS Store sales, I find that physical games are often still cheaper.
I mostly use my Legion Go or Switch 2 and with third party games favour portability over performance. I plan to play through GTA 6 when it releases but then I’m honestly considering selling my PlayStation 5. The only thing holding me back is the fact that the Legion Go is only so powerful and I worry that it won’t be long before some newer games won’t run at all. I think if I could find a way of playing games from my Steam library via the TV, that was future-proofed to play upcoming games for the next few years without it costing an arm and a leg, I’d be doing it sooner rather than later.
matc7884
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Buck the trend
As memory costs don’t appear to be going down anytime soon, maybe it really is time for the next Xbox and PlayStation, just not the one people are thinking of.
The current consoles are getting more and more expensive and sales numbers are falling. So logically they need a cheaper console. The assumption is next gen gets more powerful but what if it doesn’t? What if next gen is more like a Switch 2? It costs less and with a screen gives the illusion of getting more for your money. Sharma also recently said Xbox needs to reevaluate what they do in hardware due to component prices.
The counter argument to this though would be Microsoft would never be able to get Windows to do it and they’re both probably locked into an architecture from AMD already. There’s also the fact the Xbox Series X continues to sell more than the Xbox Series S. So although sales may be down, those that are buying consoles are still happy to go for the more expensive options.
Tim
Thrice cursed
The problem with the recent triple-whammy set of bad news – of Rockstar saying GTA 6 will be a code-in-a-box; Sony deleting 551 films from players’ accounts, with no refund; and later saying ‘no more physical games after January 2028’ – is that while gamers are rightfully angry, they are fickle.
They will simply post a comment on various forums saying they won’t buy GTA 6 or a PlayStation 6 and then when the time comes after that rage has passed, will give Rockstar and Sony the exact thing they said they wouldn’t give them: their money.
It now looks like gamers will be leaving PlayStation 6 to buy a PC.
About a year ago in 2025, I made uncanny predictions in various Inbox underboxes about the failure of the PlayStation 6 and that there will be no PlayStation 7, but was mocked.
Now who’s laughing?
LeeDappa
Disc gatekeeper
With all of the recent news about physical games disappearing I’ve been thinking about how other physical media manages to prevail. Various boutique labels still release new DVDs and Blu-rays, a couple of examples being Arrow Video and Criterion.
These companies offer products designed for serious film fans and they can feature limited edition packaging with unique artwork and extensive special features. The films on these boutique label discs are also sometimes lovingly restored, so that they’ve never looked better.
A major flaw with replicating this business model in the gaming world is that games, whether old or new, classic or niche can’t be played on the same single format machine, unless you count a PC as a single format machine, and even PCs aren’t a universal medium. As far as I know every computer can’t play every game.
You could argue that a gaming version of boutique label films already exists with collector’s editions of games, but if you paid what might be a fortune for a pre-owned collector’s edition of, let’s say, a 25-year-old game you couldn’t necessarily use the disc to play the game unless you owned a compatible retro console.
Michael Veal (@msv858)
GC: The bigger problem is that Sony manufacturers all the discs for PlayStation 5, regardless of who’s publishing it. So unless they change their rules nobody can step in to release disc versions instead of them.
The death of 4K
Sad to hear about the death of physical media. I too have always been a late gamer, someone who picks up titles on disc once they’re a bit cheaper (except for the odd full price purchase). Also, I’m just used to lending a friend my games once I’m done or vice versa. I really hope in the long term, with having to compete with Steam, that prices and refund conditions will improve so it won’t be all doom and gloom. One thing I’d say is Nintendo will have some advantage now. They could become the only company with a strong in-store presence over the next decade.
One of the biggest losses though is 4K Blu-rays. I’d say the majority of sales come from PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X owners. I know when I buy a game digitally it’s of the same quality as if I buy it on disc. Not so much with films. Even if I buy a film digitally in 4K HDR on Amazon I know it’s going to be compressed down to 30 GB at the very most (as opposed to 80GB for Blu-ray).
4K Blu-rays are the only way to watch films in their original quality so it will be sad if that avenue gradually disappears after the death of physical gaming.
As for people abandoning consoles, I don’t think it will happen completely. We will however get a far longer cross-gen period where the PlayStation 5 generation will stay relevant, possibly for most of the PlayStation 6’s lifespan. PC gaming isn’t an option for everyone. If gaming is a family hobby, like in my house, and a device needs to serve young children as well as adults, having a plug and play situation is a no brainer. I’ve not got time to be fiddling with settings, drivers, etc. for every game I play to get it to run right and I especially can’t be bothered also doing that for anything the kids want to play.
PjDonnelli
Late bid
There are a few new interesting games on Kickstarter at the moment. A new feature that Kickstarter has introduced is late pledges for campaigns, so after the campaign has finished you can still back a game if you missed it the first time, when it was live or you couldn’t afford to back it at the time. I have about four games I am interested in so will use late pledges to back some.
One I am backing is only halfway to its goal, it is called DekaDuck and it is a hand-drawn 2D action platformer where you play a duck in an upgraded spacesuit. It’s very bright and colourful and I like the graphics style. It makes me think of an upgraded Sega game or SNES game. It’s got seven days left to reach 100% funding and if it doesn’t reach it then the developer does not get the funding, unfortunately.
I’ve backed this one first, as the other three I am interested in backing are fully funded. The game is coming to PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch.
Andrew J.
Currently playing: Broken Sword: The Shadows Templar Reforged (PS5) – it’s very good and it is quite funny; I originally played it when I was quite young but a lot of the jokes past over my head then.
Exceptional release
When the Star Fox 64 remake was announced I wasn’t that fussed but played the demo, when that was made available, and that convinced me.
It really is excellent, I think it could be because I always thought the original was an almost cinematic experience at the time and this version realises that in a way that could never have been possible at the time.
Played it with the N64 controller for the first time last night and that made me like it even more. I don’t want it to set a precedent for Nintendo’s release schedule, but it is superb.
John Atkinson
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Best of Xbox
While I share many of Focus’ frustrations with Microsoft, I’d like to take a slightly different view and challenge the claim that they’ve added nothing of value to the industry since launching their original console.
It’s already been mentioned that Xbox Achievements have had a lasting impact, with similar systems now present across all platforms in one form or another. Microsoft also played a major role in shaping modern online console gaming.
Their early focus on a unified, easy-to-use online service helped make online multiplayer more accessible to a wider audience, ultimately pushing Sony – and later Nintendo – to develop and improve their own online ecosystems.
Another significant contribution was their adoption of PC-like, custom hardware architecture. This approach has since become the industry norm, making cross-platform development far more straightforward and encouraging a closer alignment between console and PC game design.
This shift also coincided with a noticeable rise in Western-developed titles and first person games gaining prominence on consoles. By embracing familiar PC technology and actively courting Western role-playing and shooter developers, Microsoft helped create space for new types of games and a stronger bridge between PC and console development.
The Xbox 360 era, in particular, stands out as a high point. It became the home of some of the generation’s most influential titles, both first party and third party, including Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Gears Of War. For a time, the platform was arguably leading the industry – before issues such as the Red Ring of Death significantly undermined that momentum.
More recently, Xbox’s commitment to backwards compatibility and cloud gaming has been among the most generous and user-friendly in the industry. The ability to access purchased games across multiple devices, often without additional upgrade costs, along with free cloud save integration, remains a strong consumer-focused approach.
While it’s increasingly difficult to see a clear path back for Xbox as a relevant hardware platform, it still feels unfair to suggest they’ve contributed nothing meaningful over the course of their time in the industry.
DarKerR (gamertag)
Inbox also-rans
So Sony getting rid of discs from 2028. I don’t buy many games but I know many people rely on buying a game then selling to CeX or somewhere to fund future games. It also covers you if you buy a game and hate it. I think people will buy less games digitally, as they won’t want to take a punt and be stuck with a game they don’t like or enjoy.
TWO MACKS
Is Sony’s next console gonna be a Nintendo style hybrid machine, only more powerful? ‘Cos if it is then 4¾ inch discs aren’t gonna be suitable. It’s cartridges or digital and Sony ain’t gonna go down the cartridge route. That leaves digital. Possibly.
Paul C.
GC: If the PS5 is becoming digital-only it seems fair to imagine a future portable console definitely will be.
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