PlayStation's all-digital pivot isn't actually the end of an era for millions of gamers

The search for more profit from a dwindling consumer base When Sony announced it would cease making physical PlayStation games in 2028, it seemed like the end of an era. It isn't. Polygon spoke with Circana senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella over email about the timing of Sony's decision and what prompted the company to focus so heavily on digital media. And a more accurate framing of the development is that it continues trends that have shaped the games industry for nearly a decade now, pushing Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo further into their respective niches for better or worse. Sony timed its announcement to fall right before Microsoft made its well-advertised layoff announcements across the Xbox division. Perhaps that was intentional. But Piscatella pointed out the timing's practical side as well. Announcing it now gives Sony's partners 18 months to start winding down their operations. Sony itself wasted no time. The last factory that handled PlayStation disc orders is already being repurposed, with all 300 staff retrained for producing optical microlenses. The factory produced approximately 600,000 discs per year, with PlayStation orders making up