RIP bargain bin: The price impact of Sony’s disc-free PlayStation plan
Summary
Ars Technica analyzes the pricing implications of Sony's plan to stop producing physical PlayStation discs in 2028, comparing digital store prices to new and used discs for 19 top-selling games. The piece finds that the Digital Standard price is often higher than disc prices, while used discs are usually the cheapest option outside of store sales, which can still undercut disc prices. The analysis suggests that a disc-free future could remove the secondary market and alter pricing pressure, potentially pushing digital pricing dynamics closer to a Steam-style market with frequent sales.