Sony ditches the disc – here’s how you can still save money on games

As it turns out, play does have its limits. At the beginning of July, Sony announced that physical disc production for the PlayStation 5 will end in January 2028. 

This raises plenty of concerns – killing physical discs will strip gamers of consumer choice and could even harm third-party retailers. There are, however, still ways to save money on games.

Read on to see our expert tips, and learn what this transition will mean for gamers.

While this change is a shake-up, we're already seeing it with upcoming releases like Grand Theft Auto VI. Learn more in our guide on the .* References to ‘Average price' and 'Cheapest price' are based on Which? market knowledge and information supplied by our partners. Average price is checked for the six calendar months prior to publication. Not all retailers are included in our checks.

Why is PlayStation discontinuing discs?

While digital games are a popular choice among gamers who want to avoid clutter, you don't 'own' them in a traditional sense. 

With digital versions, you own a licence to play a copy of the game you paid for. These are usually revocable and can't be transferred between gamers or accounts.

Your access to a digital game can be revoked if you break any terms of service, if a publisher decides to remove their game from distribution, or if there are licensing issues within the game (such as music rights expiring). The same can't be said about physical discs.

Physical discs also offer an easy way to save money on older games or make some cash back by selling the games you've already finished.

Sony's change won't affect games that are already released or those that come out before the 2028 deadline.

What does this mean for consumers?

Our expert says:

Will you still be able to buy second-hand PS5 games?

After January 2028, however, since code-in-box games typically come with a single-use download code, you won't be able to resell your games or buy newer titles second-hand.

Read our advice on whether 

Will I still be able to play my physical games on PS5?

While discs for new games won't be available from 2028, you will still be able to play your existing physical games if you own a PlayStation 5 with a disc reader.

Should you buy a digital-only PS5 now that discs are being discontinued?

Now that PlayStation is discontinuing discs, if you were thinking of getting a PS5, it may be worth saving money now on a digital-only version. 

Even with the recent price hikes to the console, the PS5 Slim Digital retails for £50 less than a 'standard' PlayStation 5. Compare the best prices on the console below:

PlayStation 5 Slim Digital

*Average price in the last six months: | Cheapest Price in the last six months: Thinking of switching over to PC? Here's how you can get a 

How can you save money on digital games?

It isn't all doom and gloom: you can still expect to see major discounts on newer games from the PlayStation Store. Plus, retailers are still likely to sell PS5 games at competitive prices – they'll just be digital versions. 

If you want to save money on games, wait for big seasonal sales from the PlayStation Store. 

Just know that you won't be able to resell these games to recoup some of the costs once you're done playing them.

We'll also be keeping our eyes peeled for the best game bargains as part of our coverage on the 

Is Xbox discontinuing discs?

We hope physical discs will remain a staple of gaming, but we can't say for certain that Xbox won't abandon discs, too.

In the meantime, you can read our round-up of the  – including our picks for bargains on physical and digital copies

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/how-to-save-money-on-games-now-that-sony-is-discontinuing-discs-awMd84t1enEn