Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios CEO Shawn Layden has expressed skepticism about the possibility of Sony launching the PlayStation 6 as an all-digital, disc-less console. In an interview with Kiwi Talkz, Layden highlighted that while Xbox has successfully adopted this approach, Sony's extensive global market share makes it challenging to exclude physical and offline games from its library.
"I don't think Sony can get away with it now," Layden stated. He pointed out that Xbox's success with a digital-only strategy is largely confined to English-speaking countries such as the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In contrast, Sony, as the leading platform in approximately 170 countries, has a broader responsibility to consider the impact of a disc-less transition on its diverse user base. Layden questioned whether users in areas like rural Italy could access adequate internet connections to enjoy games without physical media.
Layden also noted that certain demographics, such as traveling athletes or personnel at military bases, depend on physical or offline games. He suggested that Sony is likely conducting research to determine the potential impact of moving away from these groups. "Which part of your market will be damaged by going to a disc-less market?" Layden asked, indicating that Sony would need to find a tipping point where it could justify leaving behind a segment of its market.
The discussion about going fully digital has been a hot topic in the gaming industry since the PlayStation 4 era, intensifying with Xbox's release of digital-only consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft have introduced digital-only versions of the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, but Sony has not fully committed to this model. Even its digital consoles, like the $700 PlayStation 5 Pro, offer the option to upgrade with a separate disc drive for playing physical games.
With Xbox leveraging services like Game Pass and Sony responding with the PlayStation Plus Games Catalog, the industry is seeing a shift away from physical media. This trend is underscored by declining sales of physical games and instances where major publishers release games that require an internet connection to install, even when purchased on disc. Examples include Ubisoft's Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which both necessitate an online connection for installation. Additionally, what used to be included as a second disc is now often provided as downloadable content, further diminishing the role of physical media in gaming.
