Going disc-free won't make PlayStation games cheaper — it'll make Sony richer
Sony is ending PS5 disc production in January 2028, and a former Square Enix business development director named Jacob Navok thinks that's actually good news for your wallet. His argument: once physical retail is gone, Sony will face more direct competition from other publishers in an all-digital store, pushing prices down toward Steam-like levels. The evidence on the ground tells a different story.
The claim
Navok's theory rests on the idea that PS Store prices are currently anchored to physical retail tags. Remove the disc, the logic goes, and Sony must compete on price alone — the way PC storefronts do, with daily sales and deep discounts. He also notes that eliminating disc printing, logistics, and retailer cuts would reduce Sony's costs, leaving room to lower digital prices.
Competition between publishers is what drives pricing pressure, not competition between digital stores. This is because publishers set pricing on digital stores.
— Jacob Navok (@JNavok) August 13, 2026
Competition between stores like EGS and Steam improves the take rates for developers, not necessarily the price for… https://t.co/6ZZw8EUJ5v pic.twitter.com/0QLQmclwsG
The reality
Right now, buying a game digitally on PS Store costs significantly more than buying the same game on a disc. Research from the Netherlands-based outlet Tweakers and analysis from GameRant put the average gap at around 47%. Specific titles widen that further — some physical copies sell for 75–90% less than their PS Store equivalents once retail discounting kicks in. That price flexibility disappears the moment there's no disc alternative.
The Steam comparison also has a flaw. On PC, the PlayStation Store equivalent has to compete with Epic Games Store, GOG, Green Man Gaming, and a dozen key resellers. PS Store has no such rival. It is the only authorized place to buy PlayStation games digitally, and that won't change in 2028. Lawsuits in the US, UK, and the Netherlands already allege the store operates as a digital monopoly — and Sony's revenue share on digital sales runs 54% higher than on physical.
What to expect
Sony will almost certainly save money by going disc-free. Whether those savings reach consumers is a separate question. Without a competing storefront to undercut it, there's little structural pressure forcing prices down. Navok's scenario — a competitive digital marketplace with frequent sales — would require a rival PlayStation storefront, and no such thing exists or is planned.
The FTC has been watching Sony's market position. In the EU, the Digital Markets Act defines exactly this kind of single-store digital distribution as a potential gatekeeper arrangement. Regulatory pressure is a more realistic lever for lower prices than market competition, at least for now.
For PS5 owners, the practical advice is simple: if you rely on secondhand games or disc-based lending, build your physical library before 2028.
