Playstation 6 Rumours: Sony Is Reportedly Considering a U-Turn on Physical Discs for Next Playstation Console

PlayStation 6 rumours have gained fresh attention after an industry insider claimed Sony is asking developers for feedback about physical game sales. On the Broken Silicon podcast, Moore's Law Is Dead host Tom said his contacts told him Sony had circulated a large developer survey touching on physical distribution. Sony has not confirmed the survey, and no copy of the questionnaire has been published.

Sony Interactive Entertainment officially announced on 1 July 2026 that physical disc production for new PlayStation releases would end from January 2028. Sony said the transition would not affect games already released, or scheduled for release before January 2028, in disc format.

The alleged survey does not establish that Sony is preparing to reverse that policy. There is, however, separate evidence that publishers have raised the issue directly with the company. Nippon Ichi Software chief Kenzo Saruhashi recently said his company had discussed Sony's disc plans with the PlayStation maker.

Sony's Playstation 6 Disc Policy Remains Unchanged

Sony's move away from new physical releases is not itself a rumour. Its announced policy means games released from January 2028 will move to digital distribution, while titles released or scheduled before the cut-off will not be affected.

Sony has linked the shift to changing consumer habits and the wider move towards digital game distribution. Company figures show that digital downloads accounted for 78 per cent of PS4 and PS5 full-game unit sales during the financial year ending 31 March 2026.

That figure applies specifically to full-game units. It should not be interpreted as meaning digital purchases represented 78 per cent of all PlayStation transactions or spending.

The policy also does not reveal exactly what Sony intends to do with its next-generation hardware. Sony has not formally unveiled a console called the PlayStation 6, nor has it confirmed whether a future system will include a disc drive or support older PlayStation discs.

Playstation 6 Survey Claim Falls Short of a U-Turn

On Broken Silicon, Tom said contacts described the alleged Sony questionnaire as unusually large. He claimed one question approached physical game sales indirectly while asking developers for their views on how games are distributed.

He said there was a question 'basically trying to ask in a not-direct way' whether there was an issue with selling games physically. He characterised it as asking developers for feedback on 'killing discs.'

For now, that account remains second-hand and based on unnamed contacts. Sony has not confirmed sending the questionnaire, and there has been no official announcement cancelling, delaying or revising the January 2028 policy.

Saruhashi's comments add limited but useful context. The Nippon Ichi Software executive said his company had spoken with Sony about the end of physical discs and suggested the company appeared to be listening to customer feedback.

Those discussions show that at least one publisher has spoken directly with Sony about the issue. They do not verify the Broken Silicon survey claim, nor do they prove Sony has decided to change course.

What Sony Has Said About Playstation 6 Plans

Sony has publicly discussed its next-generation platform without formally announcing a PlayStation 6.

In June 2025, Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Hideaki Nishino said the future of the PlayStation platform was 'top of mind'. The remark had previously been incorrectly attributed to Sony Group chief executive Hiroki Totoki.

Sony offered further context during its May 2026 earnings presentation. The company said it had not decided the timing or pricing of its next-generation platforms and would continue monitoring market conditions, including memory prices and supply constraints.

That leaves a clear dividing line between Sony's confirmed plans and the latest PlayStation 6 rumours. Sony has officially announced that production of new physical PlayStation releases will end from January 2028. A developer survey has been reported, while one publisher has confirmed discussions with Sony about the policy.

There is still no official evidence that Sony has reversed, delayed or amended its decision.