Stickers notifying customers of the discontinuation of discs have begun appearing on physical PlayStation 5 (PS5) packages. The news surfaced via a photo posted on X by content creator Behind the Games. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has not disclosed details regarding the scope of this rollout or which specific products will feature the sticker.

The sticker states that starting in January 2028, new PlayStation titles will be available for purchase exclusively in digital format via the PlayStation Store and retail outlets. It further notes that discs for games released prior to January 2028 will remain playable on the device. This notice is repeated in multiple languages. The product shown in the photo is a model equipped with a disc drive.

The text itself had already appeared online. A 'Notice' banner at the top of the official Korean PlayStation website's PS5 page contains the same information, with the phrase 'digital format only' highlighted in bold. In July, posts appeared on domestic online communities confirming that the same text was visible on the PS5 disc drive accessory product page on PS Direct. With these new stickers, the notice has now expanded from online sales pages to physical boxes on store shelves.

On July 1, Sony announced via the PlayStation Blog that it would cease production of physical discs for new games starting in January 2028. The announcement was immediately followed by a petition and social media campaign led by UK retailers. The company addressed the backlash during the Q&A session of its Q1 fiscal year 2026 earnings call on July 31. Sony CFO Lin Tao stated that the company had received various feedback and understood the emotional attachment users have to physical games, but added that they would "proceed carefully" with the decision.

In the same report, Sony revealed that digital downloads account for 82% of full-game software sales for PS4 and PS5. CFO Tao explained that the company is continuing discussions with retail partners and noted that in North America, the practice of selling packages containing digital codes instead of discs is already well-established. Retail distribution methods by region after 2028 have not yet been finalized.