Former PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden Says Sony Can't Get Away With Making PS6 Disc-less

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 strategy, Layden highlights Sony's significantly larger global market share. Eliminating physical games would alienate a substantial portion of their customer base.

Layden points out that Xbox's digital-first approach thrives primarily in English-speaking countries, unlike Sony's widespread dominance across approximately 170 nations. He questions the accessibility for users in regions with less reliable internet infrastructure, citing examples like rural Italy. He also mentions the reliance on physical games among specific demographics, such as traveling athletes or military personnel stationed in areas with limited connectivity. Layden suggests Sony is likely conducting research to determine the acceptable level of market loss before abandoning physical media. He concludes that Sony's vast global reach makes a fully disc-less transition a significant challenge, even for the next generation.

The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 era, fueled by Xbox's digital-only releases. Both companies offer digital-only console versions (PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series S), but Sony has yet to fully commit to a disc-less future. This is partly due to the availability of external disc drives for their digital consoles, allowing for backward compatibility. 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 games.

The declining sales of physical media, coupled with publishers releasing games requiring online installation even on disc (such as Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), further fuels this discussion. The practice of including what was once a second disc as downloadable content underscores the shifting landscape.

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