Former PlayStation Exec: Sony Must Include Disc Drive in PS6

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 highlights Sony's significantly larger global market share. Eliminating physical games would alienate a substantial portion of their customer base.

Layden points out that Xbox's digital-first approach thrives primarily in English-speaking countries, unlike Sony's expansive reach across approximately 170 nations. He questions the accessibility of a fully digital console for users in regions with unreliable internet infrastructure, citing examples like rural Italy. He also mentions other demographics reliant on physical media, such as athletes on the road or military personnel stationed on bases with limited connectivity.

Layden suggests Sony is likely assessing the potential impact on its market share before making a decision. He acknowledges a point where Sony might deem a certain level of market loss acceptable, but believes that due to its immense global presence, a completely disc-less PlayStation 6 remains unlikely, even in the next generation.

The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 era, 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), but Sony has yet to fully commit to a disc-less model. This is partly due to the availability of external disc drives for their digital-only consoles, including the PS5 Digital Edition.

However, the rising popularity of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus's Games Catalog, coupled with declining physical media sales, raises questions about the future of disc-based games. This trend is further emphasized by the increasing number of games, even those released on physical media, requiring internet connectivity for installation or gameplay, as seen with titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The traditional two-disc format (install and play) is effectively being replaced by downloadable content.

Would you buy a PlayStation 6 if it had no disc drive?

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