Sony’s 'ironic' PlayStation disc decision upends gamer conventions and threatens a $7 billion resale market

July 22, 2026 - 09:40

In 2013, Sony took a shot at Microsoft by releasing a video that showed how simple it was to share a PlayStation 4 disc between friends. The message was clear: Sony understood gamers, while Xbox did not. More than a decade later, many players feel Sony has become the very thing it once mocked.

The company recently confirmed that the PlayStation 5 Pro will ship without a disc drive. Even the standard PS5 now has a digital-only option that removes the disc slot entirely. For a generation raised on physical media, this feels like a betrayal. The used game market, which analysts estimate to be worth around $7 billion globally, depends on discs that can be traded, borrowed, or resold. If Sony pushes players toward digital downloads, that secondary market could shrink fast.

Critics call the move ironic. Sony built much of its brand loyalty on being the console that respected physical ownership. Now, by nudging customers toward digital storefronts, the company controls every sale and takes a cut of every transaction. Gamers who once shared discs with friends now face locked libraries tied to accounts.

Sony has not said it will kill physical games entirely, but the trend is clear. For collectors and bargain hunters, the disc drive is more than nostalgia. It is the last link to a market where a used game costs half the price of a new download.