Sony surveys developers on disc phase-out as physical publishers weigh revenue exposure
Summary
Sony Interactive Entertainment sent developers what a leaker describes as one of the largest surveys the company has ever distributed, indirectly probing whether physical game sales pose a problem.
The outreach follows Sony's July confirmation that new PlayStation titles go digital-only from January 2028, a decision SIE tied to digital already representing four-fifths of PS4 and PS5 purchases last fiscal year.
Physical discs still generated between 23% and 47% of launch revenue across seven major first-party titles reviewed, including Marvel's Wolverine, Spider-Man 2, Ghost of Yotei and Astro Bot.
"There is a survey Sony sent out to developers that is... A bigger survey than they've sent almost ever before, if not ever before"
01
A survey signals possible reconsideration
Tom, host of Moore's Law Is Dead, said the survey posed an indirect question about whether developers see issues with how PlayStation games are sold physically.
The outreach lands about two months after gamescom, where developers and publishers reportedly expressed considerable resentment over Sony's handling of the disc phase-out.
Sony has not confirmed the survey publicly and has given no sign the January 2028 cutoff is under formal review.
02
Disc revenue remains material for mid-tier and boutique publishers
Marvel's Wolverine drew 22.9% of its $130 million three-day launch revenue from discs, and six of seven major first-party titles tracked sold between 32% and 47% of copies physically, per Alinea Analytics estimates.
Ghost of Yotei took 37.6% of roughly $400 million in revenue from boxed copies, and Astro Bot pulled nearly 47% of its $275 million from retail shelves.
Collector-edition specialist Iam8bit and boutique label Lost in Cult have both publicly objected to the phase-out, pointing to inventory and revenue-share models built around physical windows that would compress once the 2028 cutoff applies to new releases.
"Sad and devastating"
03
Sony's financial position has not shifted
CFO Lin Tao told investors in July that Sony would "cautiously move forward" with the cutoff despite the backlash, while acknowledging the company would weigh developer sentiment.
Titles released before January 2028 remain eligible for disc reprints, giving existing physical distribution deals a fixed runway rather than an open-ended one.
No public change to the 2028 timeline has followed the survey, leaving developer feedback as the only disclosed input Sony has sought since confirming the plan.
What this means
For Publishers & Developers: Pull physical-dependent PlayStation launches forward to lock in permanent reprint eligibility.
For Investors & VC: Model zero new-release PlayStation SKUs in boutique physical-label valuations after the cutoff.
For Service Vendors: Front-load PlayStation disc manufacturing capacity into 2027 ahead of a reprint-only tail.
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SYNTHESIZED FROM:
- Report: Sony surveying developers about dropping PlayStation disc support | GamesIndustry.biz
- PlayStation reportedly surveys developers after backlash over killing physical discs - Dexerto
- Sony is reportedly polling PlayStation game devs about its disc-killing decision. Reason for hope? – Destructoid
- A leaker says Sony may be quietly reconsidering its disc phase-out plans
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