Sony Reportedly Surveys Game Developers Over Controversial Physical Disc Plans

Sony's move to stop making physical PlayStation game discs has sparked a lot of conversation among players and developers. A new report now says the company might be asking developers for feedback on how ending physical game releases could affect them.

Moore's Law Is Dead reports that Sony recently sent a much larger-than-usual survey to developers and industry partners. The survey included questions about physical game sales and asked if stopping disc-based releases might cause problems for developers and publishers.

The report does not confirm that Sony plans to change its decision.

Instead, it suggests Sony may be paying closer attention to developers' reactions before moving ahead with its plan to stop using physical media. Sony has already said it plans to stop making physical PlayStation game discs for new releases starting in January 2028.

Some in the gaming community have criticized the decision, and reports say some developers and publishers were also unhappy with how Sony managed the change. The survey is particularly interesting because physical games continue to generate meaningful revenue for certain major releases.

Recent reporting has pointed to Marvel’s Wolverine as an example, with physical retail sales reportedly accounting for a notable portion of its early revenue. Sony's next-generation hardware plans also raise bigger business questions.

Dropping disc drives might lower manufacturing and shipping costs, but it could impact consumers and publishers who still depend on physical games. For Sony, understanding how developers feel about this change could matter as it plans future hardware.

At the same time, it’s important to be cautious about this report.

Sony has not publicly confirmed the developer survey, and the claim comes from Moore’s Law Is Dead, not an official PlayStation source. Destructoid also expressed doubt about the report and said that more industry sources should confirm such a widely shared survey.

In its current plans, Sony may adjust how it handles physical releases or explore a compromise that keeps some form of disc support available. At this point, however, there is no confirmed indication that the company has reversed its January 2028 strategy.

The reported developer survey adds to the ongoing debate about PlayStation’s future with physical games. It remains unclear whether this is standard industry feedback or a sign that Sony is rethinking its approach.