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

Layden points out that Xbox's digital-first strategy thrives primarily in English-speaking countries, unlike Sony's extensive reach across approximately 170 nations. He questions the feasibility of a disc-less console for users in regions with unreliable internet access, citing examples like rural Italy. He also mentions other groups reliant on physical media, such as athletes traveling with consoles or military personnel on bases with limited connectivity. Layden suggests Sony is likely assessing the potential impact on these market segments.

The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 generation, fueled by Xbox's digital-only releases. Both companies offer digital-only versions of their current consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), but Sony remains hesitant to fully embrace a disc-less future.

This hesitancy is understandable, considering even Sony's digital-only PS5 models can be retrofitted with external disc drives. 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 game discs.

Physical media sales are declining, and many major publishers now release games requiring online installation, even those distributed on physical discs. Examples include Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. This trend effectively renders the physical disc a mere installer for downloadable content, further diminishing its importance.

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