Analysts say Sony's digital-only plan 'almost certainly guarantees that the PS6 wont arrive until 2028 at the earliest' and won't have a disc drive

Date:
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:40:50 +0000

Description:
Following Sony's announcement halting the production of physical games within the next two years, analysts have determined that the PS6 will launch in 2028.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Sony plans to halt physical
game production by January 2028 Analysts say the announcement telegraphs that the PS6 will arrive in 2028 It's predicted that the console won't have a disc drive Following Sony's announcement that it will halt production of physical games within the next two years , analysts have determined that the next-gen PS6 console will launch in 2028.

According to Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls, PlayStation's all-digital plan "telegraphs quite a lot of information about Sony s plans for its next-generation console, the PlayStation 6," including a release window. "We believe this almost certainly guarantees that the PS6 wont arrive until 2028 at the earliest," he predicted, adding that the "current expectation is that the console will launch at the end of 2028." Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Harding-Rolls also suggests that "at a minimum," the standard version of the PS6 won't have a physical media disc drive because Sony will be looking for ways to reduce the cost of its next-gen hardware, and "this is an easy win."

"Its possible that an add-on disc drive could be made available to play older PS4 and PS5 games on disc," the analyst added. You may like In a huge blow to game ownership, PlayStation confirms end of physical games mere days after GTA 6's disc-less pre-orders The end of physical game copies is coming, and retailers are not happy 'I got a disc drive for my PS5 Pro just for this'
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"Removing the drive will upset some gamers that dont want to pay for an
add-on disc drive (if available) and that want to access their game collections on disc. It may be too impractical or too complex, but some process of transferral for older physical media to a digital license could alleviate some of these issues."

Whether the PS6 will be a console like the PS5 is yet to be known; however, recent comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino seem to suggest that the next-generation PlayStation console could be a handheld . Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
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Nishino said, "For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving
as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value that is unique to PlayStation," which would include "technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room."

New reports have claimed that Microsoft is also moving away from physical media.

It's said that the company is testing a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles and could release a next-gen Project Helix console without a disc drive . Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! The best gaming consoles All the best consoles of this generation

Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles 1. Best overall: PlayStation 5 Slim 2. Best budget: Xbox Series S 3. Best handheld: Nintendo Switch 2 4. Most powerful: PlayStation 5 Pro



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/analysts-say-sonys-digital-only-plan-almost-c ertainly-guarantees-that-the-ps6-wont-arrive-until-2028-at-the-earliest-and-wo nt-have-a-disc-drive


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