Ex-PlayStation boss explains why digital games won’t be cheaper even when discs end

Former PlayStation executive Gordon Thornton has explained why digital games aren’t cheaper than physical copies, even though you don’t get a box or disc anymore.

For years, going into a games store and picking up a physical copy of a new game was a rite of passage for gamers. Whether you’d be waiting a while to pick one up or you were there for a midnight release, cracking open the box for a new game had a particular good feel about it.

Over time, physical copies have started to slow down, with Rockstar Games announcing that there won’t actually be a disc for GTA 6. Instead, physical copies will come with a digital code for you to download. That has caused plenty of furore from fans who want a physical disc for their collection.

Sony has also announced that, from January 2026, they will cease production of physical discs for PlayStation games. And while you might expect the price to come down as a result, that is unlikely to happen.

Digital games won’t be cheaper than discs any time soon

Speaking to Insider Gaming, Sony’s former SVP on PlayStation’s global direct-to-consumer business, Gordon Thornton, explained why digital copies are still the same price as a physical disc – even though you don’t get any keepsakes.

“Publishers have never desired to run channel-centric pricing. In the US, pricing is harmonized and this helps set the global pricing via foreign exchange and market pricing,” Thornton said.

He noted that the gaming industry would “prefer to maximize revenue however possible,” and that extra revenue “can then be used to help cover the increasing costs of game development instead, allowing the price of a game to remain fixed, regardless of whether it’s physical or digital.”

Sony

On the other side of things, Xbox is reportedly testing a new feature that allows you to convert discs to a digital collection.

Unlike a traditional digital purchase, the specific disc would have an entitlement with the player who registered it, meaning it can only be played them until and not shared around.