Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios CEO, Shawn Layden, believes Sony cannot afford to release a completely digital, disc-less PlayStation 6. While acknowledging Xbox's success with this model, Layden emphasizes Sony's significantly larger global market share. Eliminating physical games would alienate a substantial portion of their user base.
Layden highlighted that Xbox's digital-first strategy thrives primarily in English-speaking countries (U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). Conversely, Sony's dominance extends to approximately 170 countries worldwide. He questioned the feasibility of a disc-less console, considering the potential impact on regions with unreliable internet access, citing rural Italy as an example. He also pointed to specific demographics reliant on physical media, such as athletes traveling with consoles and military personnel on bases with limited connectivity. Layden suggested Sony is likely assessing the market impact of such a move, acknowledging a potential tipping point where sacrificing a segment of the market becomes acceptable. However, he believes that point is far off for Sony given their massive global reach.
The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 generation, fueled by Xbox's release of digital-only consoles. Both PlayStation and Xbox offer digital-only console versions (PS5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series S), yet Sony has resisted a full transition. This is partly due to the availability of external disc drives for their digital consoles, including the PS5 Digital Edition, allowing users to play physical games. However, the rise of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus's Games Catalog raises questions about the long-term viability of physical media.
The declining sales of physical media, coupled with the increasing trend of games requiring online installation even from physical discs, further complicates the issue. Layden notes that games like Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla (likely a typo, referring to Assassin's Creed Valhalla or another title in the series) and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor require internet connectivity for installation, highlighting a shift away from traditional disc functionality. The practice of including what was once a second disc as downloadable content further underscores this trend.
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