PlayStation 6 Won’t Be Discless Says Former Playstation Boss

The PlayStation 5 is one of the most popular consoles in the world, boasting a broad range of games and powerful hardware. Despite this, Sony found a way to improve upon the PlayStation 5 by creating the PlayStation 5 Pro. The PS5 Pro features better hardware that improves the graphics and performance of many titles. While fans were thrilled with the PS5 Pro’s improvements, one aspect of the console was met with harsh criticism. The PlayStation 5 Pro launched without a disc drive, leaving no way for fans to play physical games. This has led to fans wondering if future PlayStation consoles would have a disc drive.

The topic of whether future Sony consoles would be digital-only has led former PlayStation CEO Shawn Layden to discuss his thoughts on the PlayStation 6. Layden spoke with the Kiwi Talkz podcast, commenting on a discless PS6 and the state of gaming.

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Shawn Layden does not believe Sony would go through with a digital-only PlayStation 6. He believes it would be a difficult challenge to market and push a PS6 with no disc drive. While the gaming industry has seen an increase in digital-only consoles and options, Layden believes the hurdles Sony faces are too great to go this route.

Layden makes his point by comparing Sony and Microsoft’s markets. PlayStation operates in a much broader range of markets, with a presence in 170 countries, some of which have challenges regarding internet access. For many in developing or remote regions, reliable internet connections are either too slow or nonexistent, making physical game discs a critical factor for gaming access as digital-only is less practical.

In comparison, he pointed out that Microsoft has been able to push digital consoles more successfully due to its prevalence in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia—regions with better internet infrastructures. These nations are better equipped to handle the demands of an all-digital gaming experience, making digital consoles more viable and appealing.

PlayStation fans found some comfort in Layden’s discussion points, but some aren’t entirely convinced. While many believe Sony wouldn’t produce the PS6 without the ability to play physical games through a disc drive, many fear Sony would make it an add-on. The PlayStation 5 Pro launched with separate accessories, ones that were included with the base PlayStation 5.

Sony may launch the PS6 without a disc drive, only to sell a separate disc drive that can be hooked up to the console. Doing so would require players to purchase peripheries if they wanted to enjoy physical games. Sony hasn’t made any comments regarding this, but the PS6 may go this route.

Physical versus digital games has always been a point of discussion. Recent attention has been brought to the forefront that digital games are a license rather than owning games. This license can be revoked or servers taken offline, which leads many to prefer physical games over digital games.