Sony Might Delay Plans to Fully Digital Distribution Model Because of Xbox

One of the biggest scandals in gaming this summer, maybe even the whole year, was Sony's announcement that the company will stop releasing games on discs starting in 2028. The backlash was intense enough that fans threatened to cancel their PS Plus subscriptions, and Sony went noticeably quiet on social media for a while afterward. Eventually, though, company reps confirmed there are no plans to walk back the digital strategy.

It turns out there's still a chance that could shift, or at least get delayed, and Microsoft's Xbox strategy might be the reason why. Eurogamer Spain recently released a podcast discussing a rumor claimed to be circulating behind the scenes at Gamescom 2026. It says Sony could push back its switch to fully digital distribution, originally planned for the end of December 2027, by a year or two. The reasoning is that Microsoft is reportedly considering keeping a disc drive in its next-gen console, Project Helix, and Sony sees that as a potential edge for winning over both players and developers. That said, this is all still unconfirmed and should be treated with a grain of salt.

Interestingly, there had already been earlier rumors that Project Helix wouldn't include a disc drive at all, though those plans reportedly predate the major Xbox restructuring this past July.

At the same time, we heard that Sony's 2028 digital-only shift could extend to the PlayStation 6 itself, meaning it might launch without a disc drive too. Either way, Sony has recently confirmed the company still doesn't have a release date for its next-gen console, so for now, all of this remains speculation.