Niko Partners director Daniel Ahmad has published a fact-based analysis explaining the reasoning behind Sony's decision to stop manufacturing physical PlayStation game discs, cutting through the emotional backlash from fans. He compares the move to Apple removing the CD drive from its laptops in 2008, arguing that although complaints were loud at the time, the shift proved inevitable and is now barely remembered. The analysis matters because it frames the disc decision as part of a wider strategy by Sony to maximise revenue per user as the console market changes.

Ahmad notes that full-game digital sales on PlayStation have risen from under 10% before the PS4 to around 80% today, with Xbox as high as 90%, and he disputes an out-of-date Insomniac Games leak by pointing out it reflects sell-in rather than sell-through figures and that Sony counts console bundles containing digital codes as retail sales. He acknowledges that 70 million PS5 game discs were still sold in the past year, but says Sony earns significantly less from physical games and is adapting to an environment in which the PS6 could launch at up to $1,000, shifting focus towards hardcore gamers rather than a mass market. Ahmad believes Sony is unlikely to reverse course but may clarify certain aspects, and both he and the article's author argue that the firm's poor communication — particularly its silence on how existing discs will be supported — has fuelled much of the anger.