- One of Xbox’s original founders, Laura Fryer, suggests Sony remove game ownership via an all-digital future.
- This comes after PlayStation announced that physical game discs would no longer be produced from January 2028.
- Fryer claims Sony let Rockstar ‘get the upper hand’ by first announcing a digital-only GTA 6
Sony is still under fire after its latest announcement of an all-digital future for PlayStation games, as physical copies of games are expected to be removed – and not only are consumers furious, but some gaming industry veterans are as well.
As reported by Notebookcheck, Laura Fryer, one of the original founding members of Xbox, recently condemned Sony’s announcement ending physical game discs for future PlayStation games, and highlights the threat the move poses to game ownership.
Sony’s announcement has since led to major backlash regarding game ownership by thousands of people online, including slight pushback (or support for physical media) from independent game developers like Astrolabe Games.
In this case, Fryer wasn’t shy about pointing out how dangerous the end of physical game discs will be once 2028 arrives, especially as rumors suggest Microsoft could follow in a similar direction with its next Xbox console.
“Digital is convenient until someone else decides you’ve had enough, and there are games and movies I’ll never have enough of,” Fryer said, which is arguably a valid statement since Sony recently removed more than 500 purchased movies from users’ libraries.
Look on it
It is worth noting that Rockstar Games recently opened GTA6 pre-orders, with the announcement that there will be no physical copy of the game, which Fryer highlights as an important step in Sony’s latest plans, saying: “Sony waited for Rockstar to make the first move, take the pressure, and now they are pulling out all the stops to make this the new normal.”
Fryer even references Don Mattrick’s infamous statement about an “always online” Xbox One console experience, as it suggests that’s what Sony, Microsoft, and, frankly, Hollywood are doing today.
“When was the last time you inserted a disc and the game worked without a big download? All the major players, Sony, Microsoft, even Hollywood, are all lined up here. Digital is killing the second-hand market and preventing your old library from competing with the new games on the next console.”
This “always online” future is closer than ever, and Sony is also closing the PS3 and PS Vita stores in 2027. This means that whenever the PS6 (or future PlayStation consoles) becomes a retro console like the PS3, there will be no way to play games on the system except through digital means – and that directly and completely eliminates game ownership.
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