Business news and discussion on TalkFuse.
No disc, no buy? Not quite: PlayStation reports profits in latest quarterly earnings
Sony’s PlayStation division reported a sharp rise in operating income in the three months after the company announced plans to end physical disc-based games from 2028. The results suggest that public calls to boycott the change have not yet had a visible impact on the division’s overall financial performance.
Software sales rose 10 per cent year on year, with first-party sales up 30 per cent and game and network services up 9 per cent. Monthly PlayStation Network users increased from 119 million to 127 million, while hardware sales fell 35 per cent; Sony said 98 million PS5 consoles had been sold by 30 September and raised its gaming division sales forecast for the following quarter by 6 per cent.
In short
- PlayStation operating income rose 83 per cent year on year.
- PSN monthly active users grew to 127 million.
- Hardware sales fell 35 per cent, but Sony raised its forecast.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ending disc-based games could reduce manufacturing, shipping and retail costs, while making releases and updates easier to distribute. Sony’s reported software growth and higher network use suggest that many players are already buying digitally, so the change may reflect how its audience shops and help sustain investment in games and services.
The case against
Discs give players choice: they can buy second-hand, lend or resell games, keep physical collections and access titles without relying entirely on online stores. A digital-only future could leave customers more dependent on Sony’s pricing and continued platform support, while the reported quarterly results do not show whether the change itself will affect sales over time.
Business Companies Entertainment Gaming