Sony Response Failed To Mention PS6 Disc Drive

Sony Might've Responded, But We Still Don't Know If The PlayStation 6 Will Have A Disc Drive Published Aug 1, 2026, 5:56 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life 3, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com Sign in to your TheGamer account After nearly a month, Sony finally addressed the torrent of online backlash regarding the announcement that it would be ceasing game disc production from 2028 onwards. But there was one nagging question that it failed to answer: will the PS6 have a disc drive? The PlayStation 6 hasn't been officially announced yet, and what we know is based entirely on rumor and speculation. But with game disc production coming to an end in just a few years, the question of a disc drive keeps cropping up. Granted, Sony may not release physical copies of its flagship first-party titles for next-gen, but the PS6 will presumably still be backwards compatible, and other publishers may elect to release game discs even in a limited capacity. Xbox is rumored to be working on disc-to-digital conversion to address these concerns, ensuring that your physical library is still accessible even without a disc drive. To that end, its backwards compatibility program is being rolled out on PC in preparation for Project Helix, ensuring that even original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles are supported in the future. But we're completely in the dark with PlayStation. Detachable Disc Drives Are Likely, But We Shouldn't Have To Speculate The simplest answer is that the PlayStation 6 will follow the PS5 Pro, with a disc drive sold separately, ensuring the previous two generations of games are still accessible on current-gen hardware while also pocketing Sony some extra cash, helping to offset the rising cost of memory. But the lack of clarity from Sony on how it will address a disc-less future, and what that means for existing physical collections, has only compounded the online frustration from players. These are concerns that should have been addressed in the announcement. The PS6 hasn't been revealed yet, but killing physical discs is a monumental shift for gaming's future, and the ways in which Sony seeks to usher in that change are as important as the change itself. What does a generation without discs look like? What options will third-party publishers have? Unfortunately, even in the recent earnings call, little information was given on these fronts. The only rumor Sony confirmed is that GTA 6-style 'physical launches', i.e. code in boxes, will still be sold at brick and mortar game shops.