"If You Can't Own It, What Are You Buying?" – Ex-PlayStation Chief Slams Sony's Disc-Killing Decision

Sony's plan to discontinue PlayStation discs starting in 2028 has sparked significant backlash. Now, former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden is adding his voice to the criticism.

In a recent interview on The Expansion Pass podcast, Layden shared his thoughts on Sony's move away from physical discs. While he acknowledged he wasn't involved in the decision, he began by noting, "Gamers are ... yeah, we like digital downloads. People said, 'Oh, downloading a game is easier than going to the store!' No, no, downloading a game is easier than walking across my living room to put a disc in the machine. I don't even have to do that."

But despite the convenience of digital, Layden believes eliminating discs entirely is a mistake.

"But I do think, particularly in the gaming realm, maybe 80% of people download and 20% don't, whatever the breakdown is, but that's a super important 20%," he said. "I mean, that's largely the most faithful of the faithful, the ones who often buy two copies of every game—one stays in the shrink wrap, and you play the other."

There are certainly collectors who keep unopened games on their shelves, but the bigger concern is ownership. On PC, we've dealt with this for years due to Steam and digital distribution, but at least GOG often offers DRM-free downloads that you can archive on your own disc. PlayStation, however, will likely never provide that option, making the ownership question critical—and Layden addresses it head-on.

"It changes the conversation from 'Do you own a game, or do you have access to a digital asset?'" Layden concluded. "If you can't sell a thing, it means you don't own a thing. If you don't own it, then what are you buying? If you're buying access, that doesn't quite sound as sexy, to be honest."

Layden hits the core issue, and while Sony might argue that buying a disc still grants access to a digital license, the loss of the tangible item shatters that illusion. It's easy to see why people fear that Sony removing access to movies could happen to their games too.

Layden makes that connection as well, noting that "as people tend to do, in their mind, they'll game out the worst-case scenario. And that's a whole lot of brand hit and reputation bite." Indeed, it was a major blow to Sony's reputation. Only time will tell if the money saved by not producing discs will be worth the ill will generated.

Sony seems intent on making unpopular moves. Earlier this month, it filed patents for AI-generated "vibe-coded" patches to fix your PS5 and for an NFC card reader in your controller.