Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that YouTuber Tom of Moore’s Law Is Dead told listeners Sony sent an unusually large survey to third-party developers asking about physical media.
- Sources say the questionnaire included indirect questions about whether studios see problems with selling games on discs or would be harmed if discs were phased out.
- No official reversal has been announced and the survey is being reported as a probe of opinion rather than a policy change.
- Sony’s shift is driven by higher-margin digital sales — PlayStation reported 85% of sales were digital in its Q4 fiscal 2025 report — and the company has already made operational changes at its Thalgau, Austria disc plant.
- If developer feedback is strongly negative, Sony could face pressure to alter the plan; the debate raises real risks for game resale, long-term preservation, small publishers’ revenue, and retail jobs.