Report Claims Sony Did Not Inform Publishers or Partners Before Announcing End of Physical PlayStation Games

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Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision to end production of physical game discs for new PlayStation releases beginning in 2028 reportedly came as a surprise not only to consumers, but also to publishers, business partners and even some of the company’s own regional offices.

According to a report from High Chaos Run, citing anonymous sources familiar with Sony’s plans, the decision was made internally and communicated publicly without prior notice to many external partners. Sony has not publicly commented on these claims.

Several sources reportedly described the move as a unilateral decision, with publishers learning about the end of physical media at the same time as the public. “Despite our seemingly close working relationship with PlayStation we weren’t informed that this was happening,” one executive at a major AAA publisher reportedly told the outlet. “It’s only hitting us now that we may be out of jobs sooner rather than later.”

The report also claims that the lack of communication extended beyond publishing partners. Regional PlayStation offices were allegedly unaware of the announcement before it was published, creating confusion in markets where physical retail expansion was still underway.

One example cited involves PlayStation India, where local teams were reportedly negotiating with distributors and investors to establish up to 100 dedicated PlayStation retail stores by 2028. According to the report, investors questioned why they should continue funding stores focused on physical products if Sony intended to discontinue game discs just a few years later.

“Why would we even work with PlayStation, let alone invest… on a store when they won’t be selling discs?” one investor reportedly said. “PlayStation India didn’t even tell us this was happening before it went public. They didn’t know either.”

While the report claims there has been private frustration among publishers, no major publishing partner has publicly criticized Sony’s decision. Sources cited by High Chaos Run allege that conversations with PlayStation have become strained following the announcement, although these claims have not been independently verified.