Ex-Square Enix exec: Killing PS discs could cut PS Store prices
▼ Summary
– Sony will end all physical media on PlayStation from January 2028, including third-party games and code-in-the-box retail options.
– Former Square Enix exec Jacob Navok argues publisher competition, not digital store competition, drives pricing pressure on storefronts.
– Store competition, like Steam versus Epic Games Store, mainly affects developer revenue cuts rather than player prices.
– Navok predicts PlayStation’s digital-only shift will accelerate sales and dynamic pricing, similar to Steam, as publishers compete more directly.
– Cheaper games won’t offset concerns about digital ownership rights, and Sony has added warnings to new PS5 consoles about the 2028 physical media phase-out.
A former Square Enix business development director has suggested that Sony’s move to phase out physical PlayStation media could actually lead to lower prices on the PS Store. The argument, laid out publicly on social media, challenges the assumption that going all-digital necessarily means higher costs for consumers.
Sony confirmed on 1st July that it will stop producing physical media for PlayStation, a decision that extends beyond its own first-party titles. Starting January 2028, every game released on the platform, including third-party releases and retail code-in-box options, will be digital-only. The shift marks a definitive end to disc-based gaming on the platform.
Jacob Navok, who previously served as director of business development at Square Enix and now heads up Genvid, shared his reasoning on Twitter/X. His central claim is that pricing pressure comes from competition between publishers, not from rival digital storefronts. Since publishers set the prices on digital platforms, the presence of multiple stores like Steam or the Epic Games Store primarily affects developer revenue shares, not the final price tag for players.
Navok points to the gradual price decline of Final Fantasy 16 on Steam as a practical example. That title’s price slid downward over time as it competed directly against other games on the same storefront, illustrating how publisher rivalry drives discounts more effectively than store-to-store competition.
Applying that logic to PlayStation, Navok predicts that the transition to a digital-only store will accelerate this trend. He expects to see more frequent sales and dynamic pricing models similar to Steam’s, as publishers compete more aggressively for visibility and sales within the PlayStation ecosystem.
Of course, cheaper games do not erase every concern tied to this shift. Digital ownership rights remain a contentious issue, and the complete removal of physical options leaves no alternative for collectors or those who prefer owning a tangible copy. Whether the potential for lower prices justifies those trade-offs will likely depend on individual priorities.
Sony, for its part, appears resolute in its direction. New PS5 consoles with disc drives now include a notice reminding buyers that physical media support will end as previously announced in early 2028.
(Source: Eurogamer.net)
