Sony's recent announcement to cease manufacturing discs for PlayStation titles starting in 2028 represents a major industry shift toward exclusively digital distribution, effectively confirming the next PlayStation console will lack a disc drive. Games will continue to be sold through retail channels, but only as download codes rather than physical media.

Microsoft has seized on this development as a marketing opportunity for Halo: Campaign Evolved, prominently emphasizing that purchasing the game at retail will include an actual disc and case—a direct contrast to competing titles like Grand Theft Auto 6, which will ship with download codes only. The diverging approaches have reignited consumer concerns about digital ownership, the elimination of second-hand markets, and whether publishers are using distribution methods to restrict player rights.