Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot believes that Sony’s plan to kill PS5 game disc production in January 2028 could have some benefits for the gaming industry. Speaking during a recent investor Q&A, Guillemot expressed his opinion that the PS5 console market could emulate PC gaming–which has been an overwhelmingly digital-only scene since the rise of Steam–and hardware costs could come down as a result.
“What we saw on the PC is that it helped to grow the market,” Guillemot said (via VGC). “There’s also some pressure for the future on the cost of machines, and being able to be only digital will help to have a more accessible machine, I would say. “There are pluses and minuses, but we think it will not disturb too much the industry.”
Sony’s rationale for ending game disc production is that it’s following market trends and consumer preferences, as the majority of PS5 game purchases are currently digital. New data suggests that physical game sales are weaker than ever, as only two PlayStation games sold more than 10,000 physical units in the US for the week that ended on July 11, 2026. Throughout 2026, only seven games have sold more than 100,000 physical units so far.
That’s still a sizable number of people who purchase physical games every year, but even with its social media channels under siege from consumers demanding that Sony reverse course on its decision, it looks unlikely that the company will budge. Sony–and third-party studios–simply earn more from digital sales, especially with first-party games where it won’t be required to pay any retailer fees or handle the financial cost of pressing discs, packaging, and distribution.
With spending on new physical games having been in decline since 2009, the numbers are clearly in Sony’s favor as the majority of consumers prefer the convenience of digital games. Guillemot’s other point of hardware being more accessible looks unlikely, however, as the current RAMageddon that has seen component prices skyrocket means that the next PlayStation console could cost north of $1,000.
