Analyst says Sony going all-in on digital is like the death of PC disc drives: 'Not a single person is complaining about it today'

In case you haven't heard, Sony recently announced that it will stop producing physical game discs come 2028—a move PC Gamer's Wes Fenlon argued continues a trend of consoles turning into little more than worse PCs. But Daniel Ahmad, a videogame market analyst and director of research and insights at Niko Partners, argued in a post on X that we've all done this song and dance before (thanks, Gamesradar).

"[It's] like Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops starting in 2008," Ahmad said in the post. "There were definitely a high number of complaints at the time, but not a single person is complaining about it today. You couldn't find many people complaining in the early 2010s either."

He does add one apt caveat to this comparison, saying "this time a new laptop will cost $5,000 and my old one with a disc drive works just fine." Ahmad argued that this was an inevitable outcome for Sony: "If not PS6, then PS7." Digital sales of full games have come to make up the overwhelming majority of sales for both Playstation and Xbox, therefore "the truth is that the console ecosystem is nearly entirely digital at this point."

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But he also points out this isn't just a "market-driven" change, but a "platform-led push by Sony" to squeeze out more money per user⁠—something the company's leadership has said is a major priority moving forward. Sony makes more on a digital game sale on the console's bespoke marketplace (in other words, a closed ecosystem further emphasized by the company's move away from PC ports) than it does on a retail game sale.

As console prices continue to balloon in the wake of the RAMpocalypse, the company is looking for extra ways to "focus on hardcore gamers who are willing to spend more than ever" even if it means alienating players who refuse to make the switch to digital gaming.

As for whether the backlash could change Sony's course, Ahmad isn't sure: "I'd say it's unlikely, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do end up clarifying certain aspects … Regardless of whether we're talking about bringing physical back, or embracing digital, the conversation needs to shift to consumer rights and what a license should enable. Stop Killing Games was one part of it, but gifting, family sharing, refunds, and other aspects are just as important."

I still use an external CD drive on my PC with some frequency, and it's hard to imagine the Playstation 6 coming with an attachable alternative (like the PS5's digital-only version has) now that Sony is leaving physical game discs behind. But this move has also been precipitated by the degradation of physical games' value: We all probably remember the first time we opened a box to only find a download code, or waited a good long while for an install process that was way too big to be a day one patch.

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