Former PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden Says Sony Can't Get Away With Making PS6 Disc-less

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios CEO, Shawn Layden, believes Sony cannot afford to release a completely digital, disc-less PlayStation 6. While acknowledging Xbox's success with this strategy, Layden emphasizes Sony's significantly larger global market share. Eliminating physical games would alienate a substantial portion of their customer base.

Layden highlighted that Xbox's digital-first approach thrives primarily in English-speaking countries, unlike Sony's widespread global dominance. He questioned Sony's ability to provide adequate digital access to players in regions with less reliable internet infrastructure, citing rural Italy as an example. He also pointed to the needs of specific groups, such as traveling athletes or military personnel stationed in areas with limited connectivity, who rely on physical games. Layden suggests Sony is likely conducting research to determine the acceptable level of market share loss before committing to a disc-less model.

The debate surrounding disc-less consoles has intensified since the PlayStation 4 generation, fueled by Xbox's digital-only console releases. Both Sony and Microsoft offer digital-only versions of their current consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), yet Sony has remained hesitant to fully embrace a disc-less future. This is partly due to the option to add a disc drive to even their digital-only PS5 models, including the PS5 Pro.

However, the rise of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus's Games Catalog, coupled with declining physical media sales, raises questions about the long-term viability of disc-based games. Many major publishers now release games requiring online connectivity even on disc, effectively rendering the physical media a mere installer. This trend, exemplified by titles like Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows and EA's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, further blurs the lines between physical and digital distribution. The practice of including content previously found on a second disc as downloadable content reinforces this shift away from physical media.

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