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 disc-less PlayStation 6. While acknowledging Xbox's success with this strategy, Layden emphasizes Sony's significantly larger global market share. He argues that removing physical and offline game access would alienate a substantial portion of their player base.

Layden points out that Xbox's digital-first approach has thrived primarily in English-speaking countries, unlike Sony's broader global reach. He questions the accessibility for users in regions with less reliable internet infrastructure, citing examples like rural Italy. He also highlights the needs of specific groups reliant on physical games, such as traveling athletes or military personnel stationed in areas with limited connectivity. Layden suggests Sony is likely conducting research to determine the acceptable level of market loss before committing to a disc-less model, acknowledging a potential tipping point where sacrificing a segment of the market becomes justifiable.

The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 generation, fueled by Xbox's digital-only console releases. Both PlayStation and Xbox offer digital-only versions of their current consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), yet Sony has resisted a complete shift away from physical media. This is further evidenced by the availability of external disc drives for even their digital-only PS5 consoles, including the PS5 Pro.

However, the increasing popularity of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Games Catalog, coupled with declining physical media sales, raises questions about the future of disc-based games. This trend is further accelerated by publishers releasing games requiring internet connectivity even for disc-based installations, as seen with titles like Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The practice of including what were once separate discs as downloadable content further underscores this shift. The question remains: at what point will the convenience of digital distribution outweigh the accessibility concerns of a fully disc-less console?