Here’s Why Shawn Layden Thinks Sony ‘Can’t Get Away’ with Making PS6 Digital Only

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A lot of uncertainty surrounds the PlayStation 6, especially regarding its release date.

Even though the next PlayStation is likely a couple of years away – or even longer – it’s still fun to consider what new features it might have.

It’s worth thinking about whether the console will have a disc drive for physical game copies, or if it will only offer games digitally.

Shawn Layden, a former executive at PlayStation, answered this question in an interview with Kiwi Talkz last year, but the clip of his response is only recently becoming popular online.

The interviewer asked Layden if he believed the PlayStation 6 would only be available digitally, suggesting Sony could succeed with a discless console now because fewer people are buying physical game copies.

Layden believes Sony won’t be able to succeed with this now, and he has a good reason: PlayStation is so popular worldwide that trying would be a risky business move.

Xbox has found more success with this approach, but their biggest wins are concentrated in a few countries – specifically seven English-speaking ones like the US, Canada, and the UK.

PlayStation is popular in around 170 countries, and therefore has a duty to consider how a move to digital-only games would affect players who can’t afford or access that change.

He then points out situations where a completely digital console wouldn’t work well. This includes areas with poor internet access, like rural communities, athletes who want to play while traveling, and military bases without online connectivity.

Layden emphasizes the importance of considering who might be negatively affected by eliminating physical discs. He asks, ‘Who in your customer base can’t be reached with a digital-only approach, and who would be disappointed by it?’

He believes Sony is likely exploring the possibility of removing discs from future consoles, and there’s a point where they might feel confident enough to do so. However, given Sony’s large global market, he thinks it will be difficult for them to completely eliminate disc support, even with the next generation of consoles.

We’re curious to hear your opinion! Would you be upset if the PlayStation 6 didn’t have a disc drive? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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2026-02-18 22:06