Former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, Shawn Layden, has expressed his belief that Sony cannot afford to launch the PlayStation 6 as an entirely digital, disc-less console. Speaking on Kiwi Talkz, Layden highlighted that while Xbox has seen success with this strategy, PlayStation's extensive global market share makes it risky to exclude physical and offline games. He pointed out that Xbox's success with digital-only consoles is mostly limited to English-speaking countries such as the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In contrast, Sony's market spans approximately 170 countries worldwide, making the transition to a fully digital platform more challenging.
Layden emphasized the potential impact on various segments of the market that still rely on physical media, such as users in rural areas or those in specific situations like traveling athletes and military bases. He questioned how much of Sony's market would be adversely affected by going disc-less and suggested that Sony is likely conducting research to determine the feasibility of such a move. Layden noted that there may come a point where Sony feels comfortable alienating a certain percentage of its market, but given its vast global reach, a fully disc-less PlayStation 6 seems unlikely for the next generation.
The debate over digital-only consoles has been intensifying since the PlayStation 4 era, particularly with the introduction of digital-only versions of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. While Xbox has embraced a digital future with services like Game Pass, Sony has maintained the option for physical media with its consoles, including the ability to add a disc drive to its digital models like the $700 PlayStation 5 Pro. However, with the rise of subscription services like PlayStation Plus Games Catalog and the declining sales of physical media, questions remain about the future of disc-based gaming.
Notably, recent trends show major publishers releasing games that require an internet connection for installation, even when purchased on disc. Examples include Ubisoft's Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. As physical discs become less prioritized, content that would traditionally require a second disc is increasingly being distributed as downloadable content.
