Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios CEO, Shawn Layden, believes Sony cannot afford to release a completely digital, disc-less PlayStation 6. While acknowledging Xbox's success with this strategy, Layden highlights Sony's significantly larger global market share. Eliminating physical games would alienate a substantial portion of their user base.
Layden points out that Xbox's digital-first approach thrives primarily in English-speaking countries, unlike Sony's widespread global dominance. He questions Sony's ability to ensure reliable digital access for players in regions with less robust internet infrastructure, citing rural Italy as an example. He also mentions other groups reliant on physical media, such as athletes traveling and military personnel stationed on bases with limited connectivity. Layden suggests Sony is likely assessing the potential market impact of a disc-less console.
The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 generation, particularly with Xbox's release of digital-only consoles. Both PlayStation and Xbox offer digital-only versions of their current consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), yet Sony has remained hesitant to fully embrace a disc-less model. This is partly due to the PS5's ability to add a disc drive, even for higher-end models. However, the rise of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus's Games Catalog fuels speculation about the future of physical media.
Declining physical media sales and the increasing prevalence of online-only game installations further complicate the issue. Games like Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla (likely a typo, should be Assassin's Creed Valhalla or another title) and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor require internet access even for disc-based versions. The practice of using discs primarily as installers, with the actual game downloaded as DLC, further diminishes the importance of physical discs.
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