An industry veteran with experience at Sony, Psygnosis and Tencent has dismissed weekend rumours suggesting Sony might reverse its decision to phase out physical PS5 discs. Richard Browne said there was "no talk of Sony changing strategy" at the Gamescom trade event, contradicting speculation that had spread rapidly online and via social media despite lacking a credible source. The story matters because Sony's shift to a discless future by 2028 has already provoked backlash from fans, and unfounded rumours of a U-turn risk further muddying public understanding of the company's plans.

The rumours reportedly originated from a Eurogamer Spain podcast host who claimed to have heard chatter at Gamescom that Sony was reconsidering its move, allegedly because Microsoft was telling publishers its next Xbox would be "100% physical". Browne rejected this too, stating publishers are following guidance for a discless 2028 and that Microsoft would also likely go discless with any new console. Sony has already begun retraining staff at its Austrian disc-manufacturing facility, suggesting the January 2028 cut-off is effectively locked in, and the firm maintains it has seen no impact on its business from customer complaints.