After Axing Physical Discs, Sony Says PS6 Is All About a ‘True Digital Platform Business’

If gamers were hoping the physical disc controversy was just a one-off, Sony’s latest comments probably won’t do much to calm those nerves. Fresh from announcing it’ll stop producing Blu-ray discs for new PlayStation games starting from 2028, Sony has now shared more of its long-term plan for its next-generation console, expected to be the PS6. A recently translated investor Q&A from May’s investor meeting makes one thing pretty clear: Sony sees its PlayStation future as a ‘true digital platform business.’

During the Q&A segment, one of the questioners asked, with more than 125 million monthly active users and an increasing push towards recurring revenue, does PlayStation remain a console business, or has another idea in mind? Sony first defended the role of dedicated gaming hardware, saying, “The value of our proprietary device lies in the experience, not the hardware itself.” Unlike a ‘general-purpose device,’ PlayStation is said to offer ‘seamless, immediate access’ to content, letting players jump straight into games without any extra hassle.

But that’s where the answer took a worrying turn. “At the same time, most of the value of our ecosystem is driven by third-party publishers, who benefit from our large install base, strong community engagement, and monetization tools,” it added. “This supports a shift toward a true digital platform business.”

The comments also lend weight to reports that Sony is becoming much more selective about its PC releases. Since early this year, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier said that behind closed doors, Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst has told its staff that single-player narrative games are to be locked to PlayStation consoles. “While opportunities exist beyond console (e.g., mobile and PC), we aim to proceed carefully, ensuring we are not constrained by our own hardware ecosystem,” it continued. “Even though first-party software is a minority of the overall sales of SIE, it serves as a core reason why people enter the PlayStation experience. Our valuable IP franchises are important in increasing brand loyalty.”

It’s not hard to see why. PC and other platforms generated roughly $650 million in revenue, compared with around $16.5 billion from the PlayStation Store alone. In other words, PlayStation games on non-PlayStation platforms account for only around 4% of the revenue generated by Sony’s own storefront. As the company put it, “[O]ur responsibility is to take a broader view and optimize total value for SIE, avoiding suboptimization.”

Still, that doesn’t mean Sony is abandoning PC altogether. It added that for live-service games, broader platform expansion ‘can make sense,’ while noting that third-party partners are free to expand onto platforms like PC to ‘maximise their audience reach.’ That’s already reflected in Marvel Tokon, which is developed by Arc System Works, funded by Sony, but will still launch on PC alongside PS on 6 August. Although it might be missing out on more than 130 countries, no thanks to PSN linking requirements.

Sony also dropped another interesting nugget about its next-gen console, the PS6. Rather than trying to out-PC Steam, the company said its next platform will deliver ‘value that is unique to PlayStation,’ adding fuel to rumours of Sony’s rumoured Switch-like PlayStation handheld. “This includes not only technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room,” it explained.

The company finished on an optimistic note, saying, “Overall, we see expansion potential over the next five years.” Combined with reports that Sony’s disc production facilities are already being repurposed, it sounds like a countdown to an all-digital PlayStation future has just begun.