As Sony doubles down on its plan to end support for physical PlayStation games, game preservation group DoesItPlay finds that about a third of physical PS5 games effectively don't work without a download, and that jumps up to 50% on Xbox Series X.

Ars Technica spoke to DoesItPlay owner and head admin Clemens Itsel, reporting that 27% of the 3,511 physical games tested so far require a download "to fix game-breaking bugs or obtain core game content" not present on the disc.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a useful example. Can you play that game on console without a download? Sure. But should anyone suffer through the disastrous day-one console build of that game? Heck no.

“There is a clear trend that physical releases are increasingly treated with ignorance from larger companies," Itsel argues. "There is no reason physical games would ever die unless someone like Sony deliberately kills them."

DoesItPlay tests physical games using an offline environment and local accounts that have "not been connected to any online services like PlayStation Network, EA Origin, Bethesda.net, Battle.net, etc."

The group's methodology is fairly straightforward. By beating a game's main story (or mode), testing "common stress situations," documenting bugs and missing content, comparing region and edition gaps as well as platform discrepancies, it creates a profile for how offline-friendly a disc is.

It's easy to call out whether a game requires an online connection to function. The necessity of a download gets a little grayer. DoesItPlay has four different ratings for "download required," which can be summarized as:

• No: The whole game is on the "physical medium," disc or cartridge, doesn't have significant bugs requiring patches, and "only insignificant content" requires a download
• No*: the game is content-complete but "has bugs that are either too severe or too many to provide," or is missing minor content accessed via downloads
• Yes*: You can beat this game with "a very high tolerance of bugs or luck to progress past them," or the game is missing "significant side content" like story DLC, new characters, and so on
• Yes: If a "hard-coded prompt for a download" doesn't stop you, game-breaking bugs or essential, download-only content will

Again, let's pick on Cyberpunk 2077. It gets a "yes" for offline friendly, and a big red "yes" for "download required." DoesItPlay explains: "Power of the PS5 masks a few technical issues, but even the PS5 can't completely mask the framerate issues, pop in, and bugs."

Itsel heavily criticizes the way even physical copies of games have been hollowed out.

"Xbox has long given up on producing fully functioning physical releases," he says amid rumors of Microsoft testing a disc-to-digital service. "They far too often require downloads or force players to create a Microsoft account. It's deliberately undermining the value of physical releases by making them incomplete or online-dependent in other ways."

It's not just Xbox, either. Itsel calls the Nintendo Switch 2's game-key cards "a form of deception" for essentially putting redemption keys on a cart, and says the root problem is how companies have been allowed to "relabel a purchase into 'licensing'."

PlayStation ditching physical games is "a bridge across the bad years" of high hardware costs, analyst says, but it means "casuals and youngsters will drift off to mobile, PC, and free-to-play even faster."

Remember Sir Daniel Fortesque? The skeleton hero of Gallowmere and the star of the iconic PlayStation game MediEvil that released back in 1998? Well, he's back, in toy form.

The iconic skeletal knight and one of my personal favorite video game characters of all time is part of a new Console Heroes diorama, which simultaneously appeared and was marked as "sold out" at Target for $24.99 (Target), despite not yet being on sale. I fully suspect this listing is just a placeholder for when its release date is ready to drop, and I'm going to need that to be soon, as I'm desperate to own one of the only and best toys of the '90s era PlayStation hero.

I'm well aware that there's a MediEvil Funko Pop available, and it's still $40.77 at Amazon, but that's pretty pricey, and I'm not a fan of Pop figures in any shape or form. Sir Dan's inclusion in this upcoming diorama toy feels like a better fit, as even though his mini-figure looks absolutely tiny at just 1.5 inches, it goes the extra mile to include his skull-covered Silver Shield, which I've been considering getting as a tattoo for decades.

Of course, Sir Dan isn't alone in this set. It also includes figures of additional well-known PlayStation characters, including Gabe Logan from Syphon Filter, Yagi from Cool Boarders, and Axel from Twisted Metal 2. The listing at Target states that each of these includes "peggable bases" so you're free to display them inside the diorama as you see fit.

The housing of the diorama itself is also pretty spectacular. Much like the brand's SEGA-themed toys, which included replicas of Genesis carts (or Mega Drive carts if you're based in the UK like me), the housing is a replica of the original PlayStation console. The brand even went as far as to sculpt the controller ports, which you can see at the front as you open up the collectible - a detail I'm very much a fan of.

What about iconic original PlayStation-era characters like Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7? Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that this new line-up of Console Heroes toys also includes sets dedicated to the beloved RPG, but the bad news is that the $14.99 (Target) set is also listed as "out of stock" for now.

I was hoping this was because they haven't officially launched quite yet. However, a quick search of X (Twitter) reveals users like @asashii29 posted on July 30, 2026 that they were able to pre-order it for just $15, so stock might be gone for now. Which is disappointing, as I love the fact that the toy brand has re-created the burning Nibelheim as Cloud and Sephiroth's toy backdrop. Fortunately, there are no plastic 1.5-inch replicas of the townspeople dying in a fiery blaze behind them. But it's a neat reference which sets it apart from Square Enix's previously released polygon Final Fantasy 7 figures.

For you UK toy collectors, I'll be keeping an eye on these new waves of Console Hero dioramas and will update this page if and when I find stock available. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll be just as easy to find on toy shelves both online and in-person as the SEGA ones before them.

• View all Console Hero toys at Amazon

Our team's toy expert Benjamin Abbott has also gathered the best Lego sets and the best Nintendo gifts if you're on the hunt for more nostalgic collectibles.

Sony's decision to end physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles in 2028 isn't exactly popular among consumers – but that doesn't mean the company thinks it's making the wrong choice.

The end of physical media as we know it is quite the hot topic, with game preservation experts predicting it'll all just lead to more piracy and folks within the industry speaking out against companies' move toward digital-only gaming. Lords of the Fallen 2 publisher Marek Tyminski, for example, stated that Sony's choice to axe discs and the fact that GTA 6 is going disc-free itself "feels unfair to studios still backing physical" – so, yeah.

However, Sony appears to be unwavering in its decision. Following its quarterly financial conference during an earnings call Q&A (as transcribed by Investing), Sony chief financial officer Lin Tao implies as much.

The "biggest" reason? "The digitalization of contents overall has been progressing. That's the big factor. It's not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of contents – digitalization is progressing." I immediately think of DVDs, personally.

According to Tao, Sony considered its decision for quite some time.

"When we think about the future – and we put in a lot of thought and time, we cautiously considered this – we came to this conclusion: we're going to cautiously move this forward. To this decision, we have received various opinions; people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forth those views to us. Games are loved by many people."

That's perhaps an understatement – and, unsurprisingly, the nostalgia factor doesn't help. "It's a form of entertainment that's loved by people," as Tao says, "it's connected to people's fond memories in many cases."

And, although Sony isn't backing down on going disc-free, the executive explains that it's not a cut-and-dried process. "We understand those emotions. We want to consider that," she admits. "And in the future digital ecosystem, how do we engage the gamers is something that we would like to continue to explore."

I do wonder what that means – but, again, it's probably not what most gamers want to hear. It's not an admission of Sony taking its choice back and opting to support physical media… and "future digital ecosystem" is admittedly a tough quote to swallow as a longtime game collector myself.

Plus, Sony goes on to say it doesn't "see that there will be any negative impact on our business."

I'm choosing to remain hopeful that we'll still see discs and game cards in the future in some capacity – even if I'm holding on to a dying form of media here. A girl can dream, right?

Here's why we think PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not.

Ghost of Yotei animator Jean Nguyen says Sony studio Sucker Punch was "very supportive" of him making his own game, the hit Steam release Dinoblade, at a time when "most game studios don't let you do that."

Dinoblade, a dinosaur action RPG, is the work of Nguyen and a few supporters, including his own brother. Nguyen still works at Sucker Punch – and he still really likes working there – so it was a little surprising that he was allowed to make his own game at all.

"I had to go through legal, just make sure that I got approval to work on my side project. And I still own the IP 100%," Nguyen tells me. "They're very supportive, and they have supported other employees before. It's a really good position I was in, because most game studios don't let you do that. So I was very lucky to be there and to have Sucker Punch's support."

Just this week, Game Developer published a report on how side work clauses in game dev contracts, which restrict or prohibit what projects employees are allowed to make on their own time, can create "undue burden" on devs and deny them creative outlets that often lead to better performance in their main job.

"As long as I'm doing well and you can see that I'm not slacking off on the quality of work," Nguyen says Sucker Punch doesn't mind at all.

In his case, learning to make a whole game largely on his own was a big shift that taught him a lot about game dev, even after years in the industry. He started with animation work in mobile games at Glu Mobile, later working on some bizarre Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj games, and eventually went to larger studios before winding up at Sucker Punch about three years ago.

"With a big studio, it's important to work with the team, to have everyone come together and have a vision," he explains. But as an indie, he was suddenly flooded with freedom.

"I don't have to do a lot of meetings with people," he continues. "I kind of just go in and do what I want. I have the vision myself. I get to go as unique or crazy as I want without worrying about what my teammate thinks, so I get to try new things and unique things that are more risky that could have a good reward.

"And that's important because it's a way to differentiate Dinoblade from AAA games. What can I do to have players want to play my game when it's, like, low quality? What's unique about it? They could play a high-polish AAA game, so I'm trying out risky stuff, anything I could think of that's fun that I could put in the game. I get that freedom."

Shifting from an animation focus to an everything focus meant, you guessed it, watching a bunch of Unreal Engine tutorials. Over roughly three years, putting in 5 to 15 hours a week, Nguyen slowly cobbled together a real, breathing game based on the viral sword-wielding spinosaurus animation demo that not only put a lot of eyes on the project, but also pushed Nguyen to make this game at all.

The maker of Combat Fury, an Unreal Engine combat system framework, was hugely helpful early on, Nguyen says. He also hired contractors to make models for some of Dinoblade's key story bosses so they'd stand out from the ready-made assets available on the Unreal shop, and he commissioned some music to round things out. But the majority of the work boiled down to his nights and weekends, with some animation and QA help from his brother.

With 83,000 copies sold in a week and a 90% positive score across 1,700 Steam user reviews, Dinoblade is a certified success. Encouraged by its launch, Nguyen plans to continue supporting the game. He says he'll also consider a direct sequel or indirect follow-up once things have calmed down a bit.

"Maybe in the future there's potential that I would like to start my own studio, go full-time on it," he explains. "I want to dream big. I enjoy seeing people play my game. It's really rewarding, so I just want to keep doing that. But it's more of a hobby to me than a career, I would say."

Two devs made a game in 4 months, now it's made $360,000 in 24 hours as Steam's 15th best-selling game: "Still a bit unbelievable."

The crossover we've been waiting for is finally about to arrive. Warhammer 40,000 is coming to Helldivers 2 in the form of new weapons, armor, stratagems and more, to make destroying the bugs and robots even easier than before.

Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has shared a trailer revealing everything in the Helldivers 2 Warhammer 40K Warbond, and there's plenty to dig into. Right off the bat, and I think we all expected this, the Bolt Pistol is being added to the armory. A safe, sturdy piece of kit that'll reduce any insect to flailing limbs.

Then you've the Meltamine, used against Automatons in the video to demonstrate its usefulness against metal and heavy armor. Anything that gives robot scum and even worse day is perfectly fine by me. Preferable, even.

The Hot Shot Marksman Rifle rounds out the standard weapons, a semi-automatic sniper made for picking out headshots when faced with a maelstrom of enemies. Ideal for giving cover, or staving off a wave of insects from a distance.

While these can be used for your loadouts, the Meltagun is a new stratagem. I gawked at first at the notion of this not being something I can lock and load as soon as I drop in, but then seeing it in action, I get it. Melting things by pulling a trigger is a power you should earn, and only for a limited time.

Two sets of armor accompany these, inspired by the Astra Militarum's Kasrkin, which are certainly far more appropriate for Super Earth's loyal army of death-prone soldiers than the more robust, superhuman Space Marines of the 40K universe, for example. Otherwise, there's a smattering of other minor changes that'll come in tow. It all looks like a lot of fun, especially if you like war, and boy howdy, do I like war.

The Warhammer 40,000 collaboration kicks off on August 12.

Helldivers 2 targets Super Credit cheaters with "radically improved" tools, but not everyone's on board with Arrowhead's announcement.

Marvel's Wolverine could very well be one of the last Insomniac games to ever get a physical release. Sony's decision to put an end to physical releases after January 2028 means it's very likely that I won't be adding more of the studio's PS5 titles to my shelf after my beloved Marvel's Spider-Man 2, one of my favorite modern games over the last 10 years.

That realisation is why I was pretty comfortable paying full price for Marvel's Wolverine just to ensure I was sent a physical copy for my collection on its September 15 release day, but I'm far happier with its new pre-order deal. Smyths Toys has dropped the £69.99 MSRP down to £57.99 (Smyths Toys) right now, which means I've saved £12 off the game and it's not even out yet.

One of the reasons why I adore physical PS5 games so much is not just because I like to have a physical game sitting on my shelf so I can gaze lovingly at the box art, but because I can take advantage of deals like this one.

A quick check of the PlayStation online store shows the game available for its full £69.99 (PlayStation Store) MSRP, with no discounts in sight. Had I only had this option to pre-order the game, I would not have been able to take advantage of that £12 off, which is very likely going towards another physical game, if I'm honest. I'm looking at you, Silent Hill: Townfall.

If you're based in the US, the early pre-order discounts aren't as fun to sink your Wolverine claws into. At retailers like GameStop and Best Buy, the game is listed at its full $69.99 price, unfortunately. However, PS5 titles are so prone to price drops, even mere weeks ahead of release, so I recommend bookmarking out Marvel's Wolverine pre-order page to keep up to date with the best prices, which is curated by yours truly.

• View all Ps5 gaming deals at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best PS5 controllers, the best PS5 headsets, and the best SSDs for PS5 if you've already got plenty to play.

The Pokemon Company and Sony have issued statements showing support for those affected by the shindo 7 intensity earthquake, which hit Kumamoto, Japan on July 28. The Pokemon Company has donated 100 million yen (approximately $612,000) and Sony at least 50 million yen (roughly $306,000) towards restoration and relief efforts for the region.

Kumamoto prefecture was hit by the highest intensity earthquake on the afternoon of July 28. It claimed the lives of at least 34 people with hundreds more injured. A mall in Yatsushiro city collapsed following an explosion caused by the earthquake, trapping shoppers inside, and a fire broke out in nearby Uki city. A train was also derailed in the disaster.

The Pokemon Company released an official statement on social media that has been translated by GamesRadar+, titled: "Support for areas affected by the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake disaster."

"We would like to humbly express our deepest sympathies for everyone affected by the Kumamoto earthquake that occurred on July 28, 2026," the statement reads. "The Pokemon Company has decided to donate a total of 100 million yen [approximately $612,000] to Kumamoto prefecture, the Japanese Red Cross, and other support organizations to help with relief efforts for those affected, and to aid in the restoration of the affected areas. From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely wish a speedy recovery for and restoration of the areas affected."

Sony has also issued a statement that it has donated 50 million yen (approximately $306,000) and is asking employees for further donations, which the company will match. The money will go to the Japanese Red Cross and the Emergency Relief and Recovery Fund for Children, which is jointly operated by Save the Children and Sony.

The statement from Sony president Hiroki Totoki reads, "all of us at Sony Group are deeply saddened by the loss of life, injuries and destruction caused by this devastating earthquake. Kumamoto is a key hub for Sony's semiconductor business and an important base supporting the Sony Group's businesses."

The message continues, "since the establishment of the Kumamoto Technology Center in 2001, Kumamoto has been a place with which we share deep ties, having grown together with the local community over many years. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this disaster. We send our sincerest condolences to all those affected and hope for a full and swift recovery."

I'm in dire need of a new PS5 controller. My current DualSense spread has taken a bit of a beating, and I get a sense that they all suffer from a little bit of stick drift. That being said, I don't entirely feel comfortable forking out the $74-79 required for a replacement pad.

With that in mind, I've been considering investing in an out-of-box controller, and seeing that you can grab one for as little as $25.99 at Best Buy right now is definitely a good motivator. That's a saving of $48 off a brand new model, and better yet, it's the stunning Cobalt Blue version and not the garish-looking white pad that I already own.

If you're considering grabbing this lovely blue PS5 pad for yourself, do remember that it's an "open box" controller. That means that it's been "opened and returned by another customer" according to Best Buy, which is a nice way of saying that it's already been played with.

As is the case whenever you buy any of the best PS5 controllers second hand, you can expect some general wear and tear and light cosmetic damage to the pad, but it should be in full working order. In fact, Best Buy has given this controller in particular an "excellent" rating, which means it should work and look like new, and that includes all the parts and accessories. That being said, you're likely not getting the box it originally came in, but who needs more packaging when it's just going to end up in your recycling bin anyway?

If you aren't entirely comfortable buying a pre-loved PS5 controller, I get it. You can alternatively pick up a brand new DualSense for $69 at Best Buy, saving you $10 off the shimmering Chroma Indigo model. It also happens to be blue, but it includes a bit more of a sparkle and will be brand-new and includes all the packaging for your storing or recycling pleasure.

• View all controller deals at Best Buy

Our team's controller expert Duncan Robertson has also rounded up the best PC controllers for gaming, the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and the best Xbox Series X controllers if you're on the hunt for a new quality pad.

Early this month, PlayStation briefly edged out Xbox in the race for most figurative rakes stepped on by announcing the end of physical game production in 2028, and a prominent industry analyst says there are more risks for Sony to worry about than its current PR crisis.

"PlayStation going digital in 2028 is more of a stopgap than a strategy, I reckon," says Alinea Analytics' Rhys Elliott on Twitter. "This is short-term margin harvesting during a rough period. It's PlayStation buying time. The bet is that today's cost squeeze is a phase and not a permanent state.

"Hopefully, the component crisis eases once the AI-datacentre gold rush stops devouring the world's memory and storage supply, hardware gets cheaper to make again, and the macro picture (interest rates, cost-of-living pressure on discretionary spend) softens."

It's possible, argues Elliott, that Sony's decision to phase out game discs could help PlayStation offset elevated hardware costs in the short term and leave it with a record of healthier margins and growth if and when things go back to normal. The big guess is whether the ongoing memory shortage driving exorbitant hardware manufacturing costs is the new normal, and even if it isn't, whether it's worth potentially pricing out a reliable market segment for short-term stability.

In Elliott's words, PlayStation's strategy is "a bridge across the bad years," and there's always a risk "that the bridge doesn't reach anywhere better," implying the possibility that hardware prices will never go back down to where they were. But there's another risk to Sony's decision: "Budget-conscious and younger players enter the console ecosystem through cheap pre-owned discs, then get locked in by buying digital DLC, subscribing to PS Plus, and building a friend list they won't walk away from.

"Killing physical media boards up one of the cheapest doorways into PlayStation," Elliott says. "In a gen where consoles cost $700+ and games hit $80, kicking down the cheap ladder accelerates audience split. Outside of the sports games, casuals and youngsters will drift off to mobile, PC, and free-to-play even faster."

In Elliott's estimation, PlayStation is ditching discs under pressure by "component inflation, ballooning AAA budgets, flat install bases, and post-pandemic readjustment," but it could prove to be "short-sighted" if the price of making consoles comes back down and PlayStation is left with a fractured install base. And if prices don't come down, "it looks like managed decline," he says.

"Either way, it is a lever pulled under heavy pressure. And it's a new base line in a world where the number needs to keep going up."

Trying to find a good deal on Saros has made me angrier about PlayStation killing discs – it's anti-consumer and will price gamers out of our hobby

Peter Parker got new threads in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 recently. One inspired by new Marvel movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the other drawing from the wallcrawler's appearance in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and the latter's art style doesn't sit quite right with Insomniac's aesthetic.

As with other suits that have distinct aesthetics, the Marvel Tokon costume retains the particular coloring of the game it's drawing from. This gives it a bright, cel-shaded glow amid the realism of Insomniac's vision of New York City. And in cutscenes and transitions featuring Peter and Miles, there's a bit of a color clash.

"God this shit looks so fuckin goofy," says one Twitter user, sharing screenshots of Peter, unmasked in the Tokon suit. His regular, adult face looks photoshopped onto the cartoony body, and it's made worse in moments where he appears to have a serious or glum expression.

They follow this up with a clip of Peter and Miles heading off on a mission, and in the video, Peter puts on his regular mask, which looks even more jarring atop his newer get-up. The game switches to the Tokon mask afterward, but it's hilarious to see in motion.

"For some reason it reminds me of Spy Kids," says one reply, referencing the heavy use of CGI in those films. "It's like if Nintendo were forced to have actor face-scans in their games," another says.

Spider-Man 2 already has a few suits that contrast with the game's generally realistic aesthetic – notably the Into the Spiderverse suits, which by default even cut the frame rate of Spidey's animations to make them look in line with the animated film. It's still a visual clash, but at least we get some absurd visuals to laugh at – win-win, honestly.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day box office predictions are in – and it could make Marvel history

Colorful PS5 console covers are pretty commonplace, and Sony has even churned out a few based on games like Ghost of Yotei. But officially licensed covers sporting art of iconic anime characters aren't quite as widespread. Want the likes of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, and Piccolo on your console? This Dragon Ball Z Silicone Cover for the Disc Edition PS5 Slim by FRTEC has you covered.

The brand behind the £29.99 (Argos) accessory has created some of the best PS5 accessories for Dragon Ball fans in the past. I even own a pair of their official Dragon Ball thumb grips that transform the classic 4-star ball into a comfortable add-on for my plain and boring DualSense. This silicone case entirely slipped me by when it released in March earlier this year, however. It's not a typical set that you can swap with the default white chassis, but a silicone cover that wraps around the console as is, and as big a Dragon Ball fan as I am, I can't tell if I love or hate it - but I'm glad it exists.

The variety of console covers is pretty lacking throughout the PS5's almost 6-year lifespan. Right now, if you were to pop onto the official PS Direct storefront, you could choose between the three Hyperpop collection color combos, the Ghost of Yotei set I referenced above, and a couple of other colorways, but there's nothing for anime fans.

Third-party brands have plenty, but in a world where Gen AI images are running rampant, I'd rather not accidentally invest in a set of covers for my PS5 only for them to arrive and have Goku sporting 6 fingers.

Where I'm hesitant is that I'm not the biggest fan of how it looks. If I were tasked with designing the Dragon Ball accessory, I'd likely not have chosen to re-use the same Super Saiyan 2 Gohan art we've seen time and time again.

A Capsule Corp look, making the PS5 look like a contraption Bulma had conjured up in her spare time, would have felt more suiting. However, I'd take seeing Gohan's shining yellow Saiyan hairdo over having no official Dragon Ball PS5 covers at all. At least FRTEC ensured to include my boy Shenron at the back, which is a pretty neat addition as the brand could have easily left it blank instead.

I'm a little uneasy that it's a silicone casing rather than a traditional cover, as there's the chance that extra dust and grime can get stuck in its crevices. Not to mention, it could insulate the console if a vent or port got accidentally covered.

Regrettably, I can't even pick it up to try it out for size as it's only compatible with the Disc Edition PS5 Slim. I'm still sporting the chonky old launch model console, so when Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 launches sometime next year, I'll have to stick with my Dbrand Spider-Man inspired covers instead. If you're based in the US, you'll sadly have to do the same, as I haven't managed to find these available across the pond.

That being said, a range of FRTEC's anime goodies are available starting from $24.99 at Amazon in the US, including a Dragon Ball case for the PS5 DualSense controller, if you're eager to show off your love of Goku and friends.

• View all FRTEC gaming accessories at Amazon

Our team has also rounded up the best SSDs for PS5, the best PS5 controllers, and the best PS5 headsets that are worth adding to your Sony setup.

There's a new Spidey film coming out this week, and what better way to celebrate than with an update to Marvel's Spider-Man 2? Two costumes have been added to the game, and there's some added support for upscaling.

Of the two suits that are now in Peter Parker's closest, the first is the Fresh Start get-up, taking heavy inspiration from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the latest movie featuring the wallcrawler. This is another take on the classic, iconic Spider-Man look, and I'm not complaining because it's still extremely pleasing to the eye.

The second costume actually comes from another game, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. This one's got a more contemporary sci-fi edge, with white accessories and a larger spider emblem on the chest. It maintains the slightly cel-shaded aesthetic from Fighting Souls as well. I do love when Insomniac incorporates different aesthetics for the suits, the resulting effect is always impressive.

In the replies on Twitter, Insomniac clarifies that these are completely free of charge. You need only start up the game, let it auto-update, and you'll have access to both of these as part of your wardrobe. Since Brand New Day opens tomorrow, July 29, the timing is perfect to see it, then settle into swinging around New York City in the same threads as our cinematic Peter.

Besides these ensembles, support has been added for both Enhanced PSSR on PS5 Pro and Power Saver mode. The former, if you're unaware, is an AI upscaling feature on the system. Your mileage may vary depending on how much you like what changes it makes, but it's good to have options for your crime-fighting escapades.

Now then, I have side-quests to complete. And by side-quests, I mean taking dozens of cool pictures with these two suits I can hopefully sell to The Daily Bugle.

After keeping the secret for over a year, Sadie Sink's Marvel character is spoiled at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere.

A new promotion from Sony spotlighting its LX3 vinyl record turntable sparked renewed backlash from PlayStation fans frustrated and disappointed with the company's move to end physical media on the games side.

In January 2028, Sony will end support and manufacturing for physical copies for all new PlayStation games. Yet the love of physical media is alive and well in a new post from the company, which, like everything else Sony posts right now, has become a lightning rod for criticism.

"Rediscover the warmth, detail, and ritual of vinyl with the LX3 Turntable," Sony implores. "Drop the needle, press play, and enjoy music the way it was meant to be heard."

The responses to the post are about what you'd expect. Game preservation group Does It Play? writes, "Apparently, physical media is worth supporting even if it is a small niche. PS games are much bigger than vinyl. Yet for some reason, they feel the need to kill gaming culture for profit. Shame!"

"If you can do physical for music, you can do it for games," replies another user.

"So physical media is cool again... as long as it isn't game discs?" says a third.

Noted PlayStation and FromSoftware sleuth Lance McDonald sums it up with his reply: "Ahahahahahhaahahhaahahahhaahhahahaahhahaha."

The irony is that the mounting support for vinyl records and waning support for physical games are largely driven by similar factors but to different ends, even though a non-trivial number of consumers in both spaces love physical media.

A larger and larger percentage of game sales are digital following overwhelming audience migration, and Sony stands to make a lot more money per sale off digital copies. Ending physical PlayStation games will also drive more users to its in-house store, furthering its control over the sales pipeline.

The market for vinyl records, meanwhile, has shown impressive recovery and growth in the past five years or so, and music companies and artists love to sell their stuff physically because a single record sale is worth about a zillion plays on digital services like Spotify.

The mediums are distinct and their markets are wrestling with different forces, but there's something to be said for just how music, so thoroughly digitally commodified, got into the position that actual record sales are now treated as an oasis.

Pertinently, vinyl records are still supported by a relatively small but enthusiastic market that's willing to pay for something refreshingly tangible – exactly the sort of audience that, many experts have argued, physical games could sustain if supported. As someone who owns a lot of video game vinyl, specifically, I'm comfortably in this camp.

But demonstrably, Sony doesn't see that audience as relevant enough to outweigh the potential gains of a digital-only future, which absolutely, positively will not lead to enormous knock-on effects or access issues.

Ubisoft CEO says ditching physical games "helped" PC gaming, and PlayStation ending discs won't "disturb" the industry much anyway.

Sony's Days of Play sales have long since ended, and I had assumed all of its deals ended with it. However, both the Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Collector's Edition and the Ghost of Yotei Collector's Edition, which include copies of the game and a smorgasbord of exclusive physical goodies, have returned with the same set of savings as the annual Sony event.

For a limited time, you can grab the Death Stranding 2 On the Beach CE for just $129.99 (PS Direct) and the Ghost of Yotei CE for as low as $149.99 (PS Direct), saving yourself $100 off each. These savings are part of a wider sale at PS Direct, which includes discounts on PSVR2 and even a rare deal on the 8TB WD BLACK Internal SN850P SSD. However, unless you have a spare $1,099.99 to spend on a spot of storage, I recommend sticking to these collector editions to get your PS5 deal fill while they're available until August 10, 2026.

Before you add either Death Stranding 2 or Ghost of Yotei to your online PS Direct shopping basket, I do need to give you a major heads up: neither one of these collector's editions includes a physical game.

As if the fact that there will be no new physical PS5 games after 2028 wasn't disappointing enough, these fancy and merch-filled versions of both games have included a digital download far before Sony made its big announcement earlier this month. That means that while you'll get a boatload of physical merchandise for each title, both Death Stranding 2 On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei are included as digital downloads. There aren't even empty boxes to add to your shelf, as is the case with the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, which is mega disappointing.

With that in mind, it's better if you see these deals as ways to get your hands on some exclusive collectibles above all else. The glorious 15-inch Magellan Man Statue, which was CG modeled, 3D printed, and produced under the watchful eyes of Metal Gear Solid artist and industry legend Yoji Shinkawa, is only found within this version of Death Stranding 2, and cannot be bought separately unless you're okay searching through the mines of second-hand sites like eBay and dealing with its extortionate prices.

Considering you get it, a 3-inch Dollman figure, art cards, a letter from big-man Hideo Kojima, and a fancy box to keep it all in feels worthwhile enough at $100 off today. You could think of the fact that the game and some in-game extras are included as a little extra, rather than the focus. At least, that's what I'm going to do as a physical game girlie.

View all PS5 gaming deals at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best PS5 headsets, the best PS5 controllers, and the best SSDs for PS5 if you've already got plenty to play.

Former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has explained that the company shut down Japan Studio in 2021 because its games didn't "drive console sales." He goes on to say that if you love the company's "creative games," then support the former developers by playing Slitterhead and Ratatan.

During his keynote speech at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference, that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Yoshida says that he is frequently asked about PlayStation's closure of Japan Studio. "Players from around the world have said that it's unbelievable that Sony would shut down Japan Studio," he says. "Japan Studio released loads of games, creative games, didn't it? At that time I was saying something similar."

Japan Studio is responsible for some of the best and most innovative games in PlayStation's history. Ape Escape, Shadow of the Colossus, Siren, LocoRoco, Patapon, Gravity Rush, Astro Bot, and many more games come from the talented teams at Japan Studio. Essentially, if you fondly remember a PlayStation game with an ingenious hook, it was probably made there.

"At that time, as the head of development, I was worried about [Keiichiro] Toyama [creator of Silent Hill] and the other Japanese developers at Japan Studio," Yoshida says. "But while they came up with a lot of creative ideas, the games they made weren't big in scale. What we call AA games are a perfect fit for the PlayStation Vita, but we were slowly shifting to AAA on the PS4 and PS5, and sometimes it's difficult to scale up like that."

Despite the creativity of Japan Studios Vita and VR games, sales were poor compared to other PlayStation behemoths. Sony then decided to put its bets on AAA games. "As a company, PlayStation wanted to drive hardware sales with games like God of War and Uncharted, because that's the kind of game that's in demand," he says. "It's hard for Japan Studio to launch a new series on console."

He finishes by urging people who loved Japan Studio to continue supporting the developers who worked there. "Toyama also had a number of ideas which weren't able to be greenlit before Japan Studio shut down," he explains before encouraging PlayStation players to try his new game Slitterhead, and Patapon creator Hiroyuki Kotani's latest game Ratatan.

Even former PlayStation chief Shuhei Yoshida doesn't know why Bloodborne hasn't been remastered or released on PC: "It's a complete mystery."

Sony's Playstation Store and PlayStation Network are down for many users, making purchases and some games and features unavailable.

PlayStation status detector reports "all services are experiencing issues" for both the US and UK. The issues began around 10:19am EST, according to a footnote in the status detector. Ol' reliable, Downdetector, shows the same.

When Sony says all services, it means it. On every platform, from PS Vita to PS5, the ability to purchase, download, browse, search, or redeem games is looking wobbly. Sign in, account details, PlayStation video apps, gaming trophies and widgets, and, perhaps most obviously, streaming may also be affected.

GamesRadar+ UK staff have ran run issues of our own, though some US writers have lucked into functionality. I was somehow able to claim and start a download for Crosscode, one of this month's PS Plus freebies, and a game everyone should play.

"You might have difficulty getting products on the PlayStation Store," Sony's official disclaimer reads. "We're working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience."

This, of course, comes on the heels of the news that Sony will end support for physical PlayStation games in January 2028. Among the many, many concerns around the move, an especially relevant one is the fragile nature of all-digital platforms and how outages or connectivity issues can obstruct access to games.

Provided there's no login wall – another wonderful tripping hazard of modern gaming, most recently demonstrated by Halo: Campaign Evolved – the only way a server crash will break a physical game is if that server stack lands on the disc and shatters it. But digital games are beholden to their platform holders, and those platform holders are powerless before the ruler of ethereal spaghetti code, culprit of all technical issues.

All PS5 error codes explained, with fixes and solutions

PlayStation might make the growing $7.2 billion second-hand games market shrink down to roly-poly size once it officially abandons physical discs in 2028, analysts say.

A CNBC report cites data from market researcher Dataintelo describing the video games resale market as worth $7.2 billion in 2025, though experts anticipated in March that it would expand to $13.8 billion by 2034. But that estimate might look dramatically different now that PlayStation has decided to stop feeding it.

"Brick and mortar game retail is doomed," Wedbush Securities managing director of strategic planning Michael Pachter tells CNBC definitively. He explains that at least one-third of sold games are used, and these sales help fuel new game purchases, too. Fewer discs from PlayStation lead to fewer opportunities to purchase games in general, whether new or old.

Morningstar equity research director Kazunori Ito likewise imagines the secondhand games market will "keep shrinking and eventually disappear" once Sony makes the transition to digital-only. PC games are already there with the help of major online shops like Steam, Epic, and GOG, and while Xbox technically hasn't renounced game discs yet, it's apparently headed that way, and it's practicing by testing a feature that digitizes entire disc collections.

Without new PlayStation and Xbox games to keep it freshly stocked, the secondhand games market will grow stale. We'll all be passing around the same 5,000 copies of Cabela's Monster Buck Hunter until they'll rot, and then I'll really have no chance at securing one of the world's highly coveted Silent Hill 2 discs for less than $300.

Ito adds, "There is an important difference between players accepting that shift [to digital] because they see value in it, and having it effectively forced on them by taking away the alternative." But it doesn't seem to matter to PlayStation.

PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot seems largely in Sony's corner regarding the scheduled end to physical PlayStation games, going to bat for some advantages of an all-digital future.

Guillemot fielded a question about the January 2028 discontinuation of physical PlayStation games during Ubisoft's financial call earlier today.

One caller asked how Ubisoft feels about Sony's decision and if it has any worries about its direct or indirect effects, such as the end of the used games market which can enable gamers to pawn games and use those funds to buy new games.

"What we saw on the PC is that it helped to grow the market," Guillemot replies. "There's also some pressure for the future on the cost of machines, and being able to be only digital will help to have a more accessible machine, I would say. As you said, there are pluses and minuses. But we think it will not disturb, too much, the industry."

There are a couple of points to unpack here. PC gaming has been functionally digital-only for decades, and the popularity of Steam proves that a lot of people don't have a problem with digital games, even if that means licensing rather than owning them.

However, other storefronts are also available on PC, whereas PlayStation only has the PlayStation Store. Additionally, since Steam isn't built for any one hardware specification, it won't up and vanish alongside aging, unsupported hardware the way the PS3 and PS Vita stores will soon enough, and even if it did, we'd still have the likes of GOG. And as general use machines, computers make it much easier to back up and preserve games, so in digital game debates, PC and console aren't perfectly equal.

We have seen digital-only consoles used as a way to lower price points, and with AI data center-induced component droughts continually pushing platform holders to raise console prices, almost anything that can lower entry points will be welcomed as we stare down an increasingly likely $1,000 console generation. But the idea of losing physical games to the AI boom has not gone down well with many.

Digital-only PS5s are outselling disc versions today, according to analyst Daniel Ahmad – but roughly 70% of PS5s sold do have a disc drive. Likewise, many of the games that are actually available physically see much greater diversity in digital and physical sales split compared to the lopsided, collective figures that Sony touts as evidence of the shrinking physical market.

Two truths exist: physical copies are important and can sell well, and relatively few people buy physical games globally. People have already voted with their wallets in the enormous shift to digital games, but a relevant audience of physical buyers remains – it's just not relevant enough in Sony's eyes.

Nintendo is now selling some digital Switch 2 games $10 cheaper than physical versions – building out a more enthusiast market for the minority of people who do want boxes – but it's unclear how Sony's digital future could see savings handed down to players, if at all. Frankly, I wouldn't bet on it. The games industry's got multiple fires to put out and taking less money from players is generally not high on the to-do list. GTA 6 is digital-only, for instance, but it's still $80.

It's not just savings, either. Sony – and, let's not forget, publishers like Ubisoft – will earn more per copy from digital games, so it stands to earn a lot more if all game sales become digital, even if it does lose some users by abandoning discs. Obviously, this is also another reason digital PS5s are sold cheaper: Sony makes less up front, but much more off game sales, so it wants the digital option to be appealing.

Only 7 PlayStation games have sold over 100,000 physical copies in the US this year, says analyst, as commenters demand discs without buying them.

Former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, has no idea why PlayStation hasn't released a PS5 or PC version of Bloodborne, and as a mega fan, he personally hopes that a port, remaster, or even a special edition is on the horizon.

While speaking about Bloodborne during his keynote speech at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference, that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Yoshida expresses his disbelief at Sony's decision to keep his favorite Soulslike as a PS4 exclusive.

"This game [Bloodborne] has a lot of fans all over the world, and it still doesn't have a PS5 version," Yoshida says. "PlayStation's first-party team is releasing a ton of remasters, so why don't they release this one? There's no PC release.

"I am often asked why these haven't been released, but it's a complete mystery. Maybe they'll come out in the future. Maybe they won't. Maybe they'll make a special edition. Maybe they won't. As a huge fan, I hope it will come out."

Yoshida also boasts about his Bloodborne platinum trophy, though he complained about some of its more challenging bosses. He also jokingly called the "highlight of his career" defeating hell beast Watchdog of the Old Lords live on stage.

During the speech, he talks about almost 30 games he helped shape during his time at PlayStation, starting with Crash Bandicoot all the way through to Ghost of Tsushima and his work promoting indie games.

"I should have listened properly to Miyazaki": Ex PlayStation boss admits giving FromSoftware "the lowest number possible" for physical copies of Demon's Souls after getting stuck in its "demanding" starting area.

Ex-PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida has spoken about his history with the company, including his biggest career fumble with Demon's Souls. When he failed to understand the genius of its challenging, opaque gameplay, very few copies were printed, which led to Sony stopping him from signing Dark Souls due to his lack of support for its predecessor.

While giving the keynote speech at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference, which has been translated by GamesRadar+, Yoshida, the former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, explains how he didn't understand Demon's Souls when he first played it.

"At that time I should have listened properly to [Hidetaka] Miyazaki-san [FromSoftware president and Demon's Souls director] and the in-house producer about what type of game they were making," he says. "I just thought they were making a kind of fantasy-themed action RPG.

"When I tried it, after two hours I was still standing in the spot at the very start of the game. I thought, 'why is this game so hard? Why is it so demanding?'" Sony was split by region at that time, and each region would pitch games developed on their home turfs to the others. Yoshida's pitch to America and Europe must have been pretty underwhelming as neither chose to pick it up.

"In Japan production started with 20,000 copies, the lowest number possible," Yoshida says. "And it wouldn't be sold in Europe or America." However, despite its limited release, Japanese gamers began to catch on to how special the game was, and word of mouth saw it gain success steadily. "At that time users online, on places like 2chan, were really excited about it saying things like, 'Isn't this actually really fun? Isn't this a god-tier game?'" he remembers.

Demon's Souls was picked up by Atlus in the US and Bandai Namco in Europe, but there was still a lack of trust in the series at Sony. "After that, the spiritual successor Dark Souls was announced," Yoshida starts. "Because we knew how amazing Demon's Souls was, and that in truth it was an amazing concept and a new type of game, we asked if we could have it, but Sony said 'You didn't really support Demon's Souls.'"

Reflecting on the fumble, Yoshida blames his history with platformers, where onboarding your players is vital, for his distaste of Demon's Souls' blatantly opaque systems. "I realized that it's important to truly understand the kind of user experience the developer is trying to create when they make a game," he reflects.

His opinion of Soulslikes has become a lot more positive over the years. To pay for his sins, Bloodborne was eventually signed with Sony, and Yoshida nabbed the platinum trophy. He even calls defeating Watchdog of the Old Lords live on stage the "highlight of his career."

FromSoftware experts find evidence Hidetaka Miyazaki's breakout RPG Demon's Souls deleted the biggest middle finger in the series: giant birds that hurl you off cliffs.

The industry is continuing to react to Sony's decision to end physical PlayStation games in 2028. Amid the pushback, a former writer from God of War Laufey studio Sony Santa Monica has revealed that the company is now enforcing particularly strict guidelines on what employees can and can't say regarding the choice.

In a video on her YouTube channel, Alanah Pearce, a writer who worked at Sony Santa Monica for a number of years contributing to God of War Laufey, revealed the current social media policy is among the most stringent people have seen in recent memory. "Sony already knew everyone would be pissed off. They knew this," she says.

"People working within PlayStation first-party studios told me Sony had the strictest social media guidelines for this particular thing they've ever seen issued," she explains. Elaborate rules for what developers and other employees can and can't say aren't anything new, as she mentions working on Laufey came with a lot of communication restrictions.

That much is par for the course in the industry, especially when a project is pre-announcement. Sony doesn't want any leaks or rumors. But here, the prerogative is weathering the storm of criticism.

"In this instance, it's apparently the strictest the employees I spoke to have ever seen regarding public communications," Pearce adds. "They would only have done this if they knew it was going to be an enormous PR issue. This is no surprise to them."

Sony will have prepared for waves of critique, from many sides of the industry, and part of that preparation will be making sure nobody involved in a project at the PlayStation maker can say anything too off-brand to the public. Consistency is often key to messaging around pivots such as this.

Don't expect to hear a revolt from developers across the blue-tinted console brand for the time being. At least there are plenty of advocates doing so in their stead.

Former Valve writer says PlayStation killing physical discs is no conspiracy: "You, the consumer, have made your choice, and the choice is for digital"

A game publisher has spoken out about Sony's plan to kill off physical games, saying it's still valuable to reach certain audiences.

You know the story by now: Rockstar Games opened the floodgates by announcing that GTA 6 will only release digitally – well, technically there will be a physical version, but it's a code in a box, so I'm not counting it – and then shortly after, Sony announced it will stop making disks in 2028. This caused massive outrage from players, with the latest Marvel's Wolverine trailer – and most trailers on the PlayStation YouTube channel – being bombarded with comments demanding Sony change course.

Speaking to Game File, founder and CEO of publisher Serenity Forge, Zhenghua Yang explains, "For us, physical publishing has actually never just been another sales channel" and that the disk releases are "actually an important part of our mission to bring meaningful games to as many people as possible globally."

Serenity Forge has published a number of iconic indie titles like Lisa, Doki Doki Literature Club, and Slay the Princess over the years. Yang adds, "Physical games help us reach audiences that digital often can’t," explaining, "They can be discovered in retail stores like Walmart/GameStop/etc, given as gifts, distributed to places with limited internet access, and preserved as lasting works of art."

However, Yang stresses the importance of digital games too, saying, "Digital distribution has made games more accessible, and it's been one of the biggest drivers of growth for our industry."

However, he doesn't see it as a 'one or the other' situation, adding, "We see physical and digital as complementary rather than competing" and that a combo of the two helps games reach the "widest possible audience."

Yang adds, "Every platform holder has to make long-term decisions based on manufacturing costs, logistics, consumer behavior" and says he has "no doubt Sony evaluated all of those factors carefully."

Industry analyst Mat Piscatella also revealed that in 2026, only seven games on PlayStation have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in the US this year, suggesting that, unfortunately – despite the massive online outrage – people aren't putting their money where their mouth is.

Despite Sony's decision likely having massive effects on the industry, Yang says the company's mission statement hasn't changed: "Our responsibility can really only be to adapt, continue serving our players, and keep finding new ways to make meaningful interactive art accessible to the widest possible audience."

PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not

Left 4 Dead writer Chet Faliszek hears you crying about PlayStation's decision to end physical game discs in 2028, and he's shoving your own fist in your mouth to make you stop. You caused your own suffering, he wants players to know.

"You, the consumer, have made a choice, and your choice is for digital," Faliszek says plainly in a new YouTube video on the subject. "I keep seeing this, like, 'Oh, they should do memory cards. They should do…' Right now, today – the games we are talking about are available at retail today. The used games are available at retail today, and you aren't going into retail and buying them."

Unfortunately for the thousands of commenters spamming Sony's last trailer for Marvel's Wolverine with emoji pitchfork and torches, he's right. Circana industry analyst Mat Piscatella just revealed only seven PlayStation games managed to crack 100,000 physical sales in the US this year.

Even worse, "Anybody who's reporting software sales right now, and they're doing digital and retail, they're all under reporting," Faliszek says, "because they're not reporting Steam. Let's not even get into mobile. And what was Game Pass? Game Pass was digital only. You as the consumer have forced the large corporations hand, and you've told them 'Stop with retail.'"

Once you, apparently, regretted your decision to invest almost entirely in digital, you didn't start buying Crimson Desert discs while you could, nor did you abstain from making digital purchases altogether. Now it's too late, says Faliszek.

"You should have started protesting Game Pass, and stop buying Xbox games, and stop buying digital," says the frustrated writer. "But you didn't, because it's easier."

The Steam Machine isn't doing exclusives because Valve thinks "restricting where people can play" doesn't work.

PlayStation fans continue to demand physical game discs from the company after it announced it would stop making them in 2028, but actual sales numbers gathered by Circana industry analyst Mat Piscatella suggest that – as much as I hate saying this – Sony might be right.

People are not buying physical games, though the 12,000 wailing comments under the latest Marvel's Wolverine trailer might confuse you into thinking you fell asleep and woke up in a physical media Eden. But – I'm consoling my tired, creaking DVD shelf as I say this – we are not in Eden, as Piscatella reveals only seven PlayStation games have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in the US this year.

"2 PlayStation video games sold more than 10k physical units in the US during week ending July 11, 2026," the analyst shares on Bluesky, "7 have sold more than 100k physical units year-to-date." Global estimates from earlier this month by Alinea Analytics suggest EA Sports FC 26, Resident Evil Requiem, and 007 First Light might be among those seven games, as each saw at least 12% of their millions of international sales derive from physical games. In Requiem's case, a hefty 27.8% of its 3.5 million copies sold are estimated to have come from physical discs.

Those are not small numbers. But they're not big for PlayStation, either, especially when considering the fact that Piscatella's data comes from "all games, all pubs, all PS platforms," he explains.

Things used to look very different for all games, all pubs, all platforms. According to a wedge-shaped chart Piscatella posted on Bluesky in June, US consumer spending on physical games went on a sleigh ride downhill from $11.5 billion in 2009 to $1.6 billion in 2026. We're still nurturing a capital-B Billion, but that wad of cash is a much smaller prize for Sony than it's used to.

Piscatella predicted this summer, "More than half of all Xbox Series consoles in the US don't have a physical drive, while over a quarter of PS5's are the same. We likely have less than a decade left of physical software."

Now, PlayStation is fulfilling the prophecy. Piscatella says about players' recent outrage, "Commenting is cool, use your voice and all that. But commenting is cheap." So, remember, if you really do care about physical discs, buy them.

Sony's attack on physical goods spreads to Crunchyroll as it adds a $14 subscription requirement just to access new store "experience."

We're just two weeks out from Sony's disastrous decision to kill discs after 2028, and the PS5 price itself is sitting at an all-time high. That's enough to make any Crash Bandicoot fan wince. So where do you go if you're looking to investigate Sony's exclusives? You're certainly not buying it from the brand itself.

The PS5 Slim Digital Edition now costs an incredible $599 - a full $200 more expensive than the original launched for six years ago. PS Direct's Certified Refurbished scheme used to be the way to go, but even they've run out of digital devices this week. All you'll find on those shelves are Disc editions for $550.

Thankfully, Best Buy seems to have taken another look in the cupboard this week, and come up with a batch of original Digital Edition PS5 consoles - at just $349.99 a piece.

This is the original release, so you're getting the chunkier form factor and just a tiny bit less storage. It's also worth noting that, should you decide to give those disks one last hurrah, this older model isn't compatible with the separate drives Sony started adding to the paperweight market last year.

• Join GamesRadar+ Deals on WhatsApp for our top daily discounts

Still, if you're happy to embrace our digital future, picking up the PS5 Digital Edition and a PS Plus Extra subscription will keep you in the green for a couple of years to come. At $134.99 for 12 months, you've got the best part of two years before you hit the usual $600 selling price for a brand new PS5 Slim Digital Edition.

Is it ideal? No, ideally we'd be at a discounting point in the PS5's life cycle and Sony wouldn't be taking drastically blatant steps to kill game ownership and make the hobby less accessible in the name on its bottom line. We are where we are though, and if you're after a PS5 this week this is where you should be putting your cash.

• See all PS5 deals at Best Buy

We're also rounding up the best PS5 accessories as well as the best PS5 headsets and best PS5 controllers for more options.

Marathon game director Joe Ziegler has stepped down and left Bungie a short two months after the developer announced its final update for fellow FPS Destiny 2. His last day at the company was July 17.

Former Destiny 2 design lead Del Chafe III will take over as game director with help from Marathon's current creative director Julia Nardin. Ziegler writes in a Twitter announcement, "Both of them have been operating in a strong leadership capacity for the team and are ready to guide Marathon into the next chapter with an even better and brighter future." Marathon launched in March with a peak concurrent player count of 88,337, according to Steam DB, and its current player count as of writing is 6,775.

Nardin told GamesRadar+ earlier this summer that Marathon's team already knew "where we want to take the story over the next few years," so, at least publicly, Bungie looks ready to invest in Marathon as it leaves Destiny 2 in a sad, comatose state. But the fact that the shooter has gone from nearly 90,000 simultaneous players to under 10,000 is a foreboding one.

"I just want to say a deeply heartfelt thank you to all of you for supporting me and Marathon in our windy mission to bring a dark and terrifying space survival frontier to your screen," Ziegler says. "The mission will continue in new and surprising ways so stay tuned for what this team has in store for you!" The developer says he will "be heading to something new, somewhere else" with updates to come "soon."

"Hopefully as I move onto new things, you'll join me for those adventures as well," he adds.

Bungie has recently been shedding employees like cat hair – it laid off "most" of its Destiny 2 team in a massive sweep, and while PlayStation CEO Herman Hulst swore to staff at the time that Marathon "remains an important part of our portfolio, and we will continue to support the team," some of its devs were also impacted by layoffs. Following those layoffs, Bundie studio head Justin Truman reportedly stepped down from his position after less than a year.

"Working at Bungie was the most toxic, dysfunctional experience of my professional life," former narrative lead Michael Zenke, who left Bungie in 2017, remarked after Destiny 2's death knell update was announced. Ziegler's sudden departure from Marathon after a now seems like evidence of this. You can't enjoy a home with a crumbling foundation.

As Destiny 2 ends, what's next for Bungie?

Surprise! The official PlayStation YouTube channel has randomly dropped a new trailer for Marvel's Wolverine with some notable story and character reveals, and as you might imagine the community is – wait, what's that? Oh, the comments are absolutely flooded with anger about Sony's decision to end physical discs, to the point where hardly anyone is actually discussing the content of the trailer.

The trailer seems to effectively be an extended cutscene, but it does have some meat for fans to chew on. We see Wolverine chasing a photo of himself and Jean Grey through an array of battlefields, suggesting that their relationship will be a central part of the story. More surprising is that Sabretooth – who we've seen appear in previous footage – seems to be teaming up with Logan. We've also finally got confirmation that Lady Deathstrike will appear in the game.

But if you scroll through the comments on YouTube, you won't see much discussion about those facts. Instead, you'll see messages like "We want physical games," "WE WANT PHYSICAL GAMES!" and "WE WANT PHYSICAL GAMES!!!!" Others are chiming in with comments like "That disc is going to look awesome," "This is gonna be a day one buy on physical disc," and "Can't wait for my PHYSICAL COPY."

Marvel's Wolverine will indeed be released on a physical disc, something that the devs at Insomniac confirmed in the wake of news that GTA 6 would be a digital-only launch. Since then, Sony announced that there will be no more new PlayStation games on disc as of 2028, so it seems Marvel's Wolverine is likely among the last of a dying breed.

Analysts expect that Sony "will not reverse" its decision to kill discs despite the backlash, but boy – that backlash is loud on the official PlayStation YouTube channel. It's not just a response to a big, first-party title like Wolverine, either – every single new trailer uploaded to the channel is inundated with the same sorts of comments supporting physical media.

Non-Sony devs are certainly taking notice. Eat Pant Games, the New Zealand indie studio behind adorable platformer Teeto, posted a harrowing recap of seeing 400 comments under the game's release trailer, only to find that they're all about physical discs. Teeto is a small enough release that it's only happening digitally for now, but the devs are hopeful that could change in the future: "WE CAN HAVE BOTH."

Despite some reports to the contrary, Sony hasn't been shutting off comments in response to the backlash. Trailers for titles like Instant Sports 2 are flagged as family-friendly content on YouTube, which means comments are turned off automatically – presumably to protect kids from the horrors of gamers who are mad about Sony's efforts to hasten the death of physical media.

Sony killing physical PlayStation games is "the latest attack on our diminishing rights," leading digital rights group says: "The end goal is to turn the customer into a renter."

Sony plans to end physical discs by 2028, assuming no one wants to hold anything in their hands anymore now that we have the Fortnite item shop to provide us with Skibidi Toilet backpack in exchange for real money. But if that were even a little bit true, then Mortal Shell 2 developer Cold Symmetry wouldn't have to be so despondent. Its PS5-exclusive Revered Edition with a physical disc is running out of stock, which is great, but Cold Symmetry doesn't yet have confirmed plans to replace it.

"Demand for the PS5 physical Revered Edition of Mortal Shell 2 has exceeded expectations," Cold Symmetry writes in a July 16 Twitter post, ahead of the grim Soulslike sequel's August 20 launch. "Unfortunately supply across a number of retailers has now been fully reserved, meaning that in a growing number of markets fans are unable to pre-purchase a copy of the game. We apologise for the lack of availability."

Mortal Shell 2 follows the first game from 2020 in being a frigid stone slab of an action-RPG, all gray and mist blue as you possess fallen warriors' empty Shells and use their combat powers against heretics. Its fancy $70 Revered Edition comes in a big box with a physical game, steelbook, artbook, and in-game exclusives. While most major retailers seem to still be accepting pre-orders for the Edition, Cold Symmetry suggests there's no guarantee your order will be fulfilled if you place one.

"There is a very low chance of additional physical copies becoming available before the game's release," the developer continues on Twitter. "We are working with our distribution partner to review ongoing demand and we'll update as soon as we hear their decision on next steps."

"To be clear," Cold Symmetry reiterates, "there is no guarantee of a stock replenishment plan after launch as this decision is not ours to make."

But even if the Revered Edition's physical games are sold out for good, fans have decided Mortal Shell 2 will still be the accidental poster child of discs. Niko Partners video game market analyst Daniel Ahmad writes on Twitter about Mortal Shell 2's slipping stock, "Granted this is overall a supply issue rather than demand, but it does show this model works and could continue working."

Others scoff more full-throatedly at PlayStation for ever doubting the game format. In any case, it seems that physical media doesn't lie down and die just because Sony wants it to.

Sony's attack on physical goods spreads to Crunchyroll as it adds a $14 subscription requirement just to access new store "experience."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is "the leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation," has reacted to Sony's decision to end physical game sales in 2028.

In a blog post published on its website, not only does the digital rights group call it an "attack on our diminishing rights," but a worrying sign of what's to come.

"PlayStation’s decision to kill physical game discs is the latest attack on our diminishing rights to access and engage with culture digitally. Rent-seeking corporations and negligent lawmakers share the blame – and they can do better," says Rory Mir – director of open access and tech community engagement at EFF.

Mir singles out the "same playbook" used in the film, TV, and music industries that "draw in customers with the convenience of a digital download, then limit physical access and move the goalpost on what it actually means to 'own' a piece of media."

They add, "The end goal is to turn the customer into a renter, stuck making regular subscription payments for access. Gamers are right to sound the alarm, and we must take this moment to fight for digital ownership before it's too late."

The EFF notes that access to high-speed internet is required to access digital games in a reasonable time, which will affect those without access to good internet – which EFF says is still "abysmal" in terms of access in the US.

"Limiting customers to digital copies also pushes gamers further into rent-only copyright culture," Mir adds, noting that physical media comes with the "right of first sale," allowing you to resell anything you have purchased, something that obviously can't happen in a digital-first marketplace.

They also warn, "The inevitable conclusion of the move to digital-only purchases is to lock gamers into subscription models, making their access totally dependent on the distributor – or, several distributors, as we’ve seen with major TV and movie streamers."

Despite a massive outpouring of negative reaction to Sony's decision to kill off physical releases, the company has shown no signs of rethinking its approach. Nor has Rockstar Games after it announced GTA 6 will be a digital-only release.

While emulation efforts are currently underway to ensure the sort of preservation that digital doesn't - RPCS3 devs promise “75% of all PlayStation 3 games are now playable on PC” - some analysts suggest it's something people will have to get used to in time, much like "Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops." As things stand, though, I don't see that happening just yet.

GTA 6 faces potential $35 million fine if Rockstar doesn't comply with online safety laws that mean Australians would need ID to play.

The PS6 price is currently as buried as a worm, but terrible rumors and predictions around it keep wriggling around in the form of a $999 standard console. This idea terrifies me more than the confirmed reality of the ribbon worm parasite I recently learned has multiple "temporary" gonads, and it seems former Sony Interactive CEO Shawn Layden is pretty freaked, too.

Layden tells Kotaku that most people "should be afraid of the thousand-dollar console," as it threatens to sap up consumers' bank accounts and stall sales for retailers. "That's a whole lot of money."

And if a whole lot of money is what Sony demands, Layden struggles to imagine what would make a PS5 player – who's at peace with the fact that they spent $500 six years ago, and is currently playing Uncharted – make the jump to a new machine. With $1,000, you could have bought six Nintendo DS handhelds in 2004, or, like, pay your rent.

Then there's the fact that "when a new console launches, you’re not going to have a lot of games for it," Layden reasons. "You can have anywhere from maybe six to 12 that'll be out there in that launch window. And if you put a four-digit price tag on the hardware against that, I think you really slow the adoption curve tremendously."

"I mean really, how much more ray tracing can you put in there?" Layden quips. To answer, I'm guessing not that much more.

Layden continues, "Will my eyes actually see 120 frames per second?" I doubt it.

But even if we existed in an incredible reality where Sony was capable of packing $1,000 worth of ray tracing into their latest console, the human eye could perceive infinite frames per second, and the PS6 launched with Elden Ring 2 through 4, I question whether people would want to invest in the reputation Sony is currently creating.

In the last two weeks alone, the company has decided to abandon physical game discs and guide subsidiary Crunchyroll into creating a ridiculous subscription-gated online store. By the time the PS6 launches – probably in 2028, or later – I don't know that Sony will have done much to assure fans that it respects their quaint desire to feel like they're real people rather than leaking bags of money. Actually, I expect companies to only further devalue the average person's sense of ownership as they continue to foist fewer, yet more expensive options with Klarna payment plans upon us.

And, no, I would not love PlayStation if it were a worm.

Layden tells Kotaku that the industry sentiment for a long time was, "You can't sell a game machine unless it's $399." Ultimately, $1,000 doesn't have the same ring to it.

Former PlayStation Store boss says retail price is "set directly by the publisher" as digital draws ire for being more costly than the physical discs Sony is killing.

If you were paying attention to audience reactions to God of War Laufey, you likely noticed the ever-predictable objections to a female-led spin-off. You know the type to complain, and they're as laughably pathetic as ever. Deborah Ann Woll, the voice of our eponymous protagonist, was asked for her take, and she's simply unbothered.

While she was signing at Florida Supercon, a fan asked Woll about misogynistic backlash, recording her response for TikTok. "I mean, genuinely, I thought I was going to be much more affected by it," she explained.

"One, I'm not on social media, so that helps," she continues. "And two, I don't know, I feel totally unbothered because I just know it's great. Like, it’s okay if it’s not your cup of tea, but in no universe is it bad."

We don't have much to go on at present, but what's available about God of War Laufey paints a strong picture. For a start, the game is developed by Sony Santa Monica, the same studio behind the mainline God of War series. This more or less guarantees the same flowing, weighty combat, gorgeous visuals, and solid writing of the last two Kratos-led, triple-A releases.

And then we have Laufey herself, who'll be a breath of fresh air compared to the literal decades we've had of grumpy, old Kratos and his blades. The concept of God of War Laufey being a narrative parallel to the first game, as Laufey explores the afterlife, assisting her child and widowed partner, is also a strong one, and I'm fully expecting to get choked up while playing and mutilating whatever demons get in my way.

Is the gelatinous cube kind of weird? Sure. But in context, it'll probably be fine. It's not the first time we've all been sold on a simple cube in a major video game, is it?

Sony Santa Monica confirms "God of War Laufey will be available on disc" despite PlayStation's war on physical.

Sony has a habit of presenting big hardware changes as a matter of fact. You could say that's why I was surprised to see it preemptively announce that physical PS5 discs won't be a thing by 2028, as I was fully expecting the PS6 to simply rock up without a disc drive. However, that doesn't mean it's not hoping certain monumental trends will be naturally embraced before anyone has time to react, and the PlayStation Portal has sort of already signalled some upsetting handheld ambitions.

Yes, I know plenty of people love the PlayStation Portal, and I can see why. Those full-sized DualSense controls give even the best gaming handhelds a run for their money, and you could say it even influenced the Xbox ROG Ally X to embrace controller grips. Those perks have earned it plenty of praise, but I can look past how it dangled an always-online streaming device in front of us dressed up as a promising PS Vita successor.

The Portal may feel harmless enough as an add-on device targeting players who are into PS5 Remote Play or even dabbling with streaming. Hilariously, it couldn't even do the latter at launch, which in my eyes placed it in the same housebound ring as the Wii U GamePad. But, Sony does like to cite commercial success to back up its hardware and software decisions, and it could use said figures to argue people want streaming handhelds.

You only need to look back at Sony's more recent hardware history to see a "testing the water" trend. The PlayStation Portal isn't even its first attempt to make all-digital handhelds a thing, as it also made the PSP Go portable in 2009, which ditched the system's UMD disc drive.

Sony clearly had an overarching digital future in mind when coming up with the PSP Go, as while the $250 handheld with zero physical support for its own ecosystem of games was naturally a flop, the idea survived. In fact, you could say the Ericsson Xperia Play ended up being a spiritual successor, as it was pitching the idea of downloading games, all while including a few baked-in games based on that PS1 PUGA plug-and-play DualShock console I shared a couple of weeks ago.

The difference here is that the PSP Go and Ericsson Xperia Play are examples of Sony trying to get players to bite. It wasn't quite at the stage of presenting a portable that removes physical support entirely, as the PlayStation Vita was just about to take centre stage as a much safer bet. Still, the trajectory pointed towards all-digital ambitions, and there's an oddball system between the Vita and Portal that made the case for streaming.

I won't blame you for not remembering the PlayStation TV. It was originally called the "Vita TV" in Japan, which naturally helped signal its actual screenless handheld game functionality. Yes, it was basically a mini console that could run the portable's cartridges, but actually, Sony really seemingly wanted you to use it as a remote play box instead.

I'm not one for taking a hint, and I earnestly picked up a PlayStation TV to play Vita games on the big screen. It always irked me that the handheld lacked video output, so the tiny box felt like a reasonable compromise. The thing is that Sony actually blocked users from using a bunch of physical games with the system by using an internal "whitelist", meaning it wasn't ideal for playing your own collection.

Maybe I should have taken the lack of "Vita" in the box's title as a sign, but to me, the approach felt senseless. Yes, it used the lack of a touchscreen to bar some games from running, but that made little sense, seeing as controller emulation for compatibility was a thing. Add the fact that manually adding the missing games to the whitelist resulted in them running perfectly, and you have what appears to be a missed hardware opportunity.

Except, I'm not convinced Sony didn't intentionally neglect the PS TV's Vita functionality. After all, its other big new feature, and one that led to it being specifically bundled with PS4 consoles, was Remote Play. By including the gadget with systems, players would be more likely to start using a type of streaming to play games, even if it did first start with local Wi-Fi play.

Of course, the PS TV was also a response to the 2010s smart box craze, as tech companies were going all in on making their own add-ons. Sony's gizmo could also access apps like Netflix, but if we're going to say it was rivalling anything, it's probably Valve's Steam Link that established PC remote play.

The strategic difference there is that Steam was always a digital storefront, whereas Sony built its house on physical game foundations. That's not to say you couldn't establish strong remote play features while keeping discs and cartridges alive, but it's the arrival of the PlayStation Portal that highlights an alternate path.

The PlayStation Portal was the first sign that Sony was accelerating its all-digital plans. It actually signalled that the company had locked in an all-digital future, and it was now ready to make a case for providing games via the cloud. In my review, I highlight that while it feels like a nice handheld, the fact that it totally neglects letting players run games natively makes it far too niche, but it's a niche that Sony was hoping to make stick through pricing.

It's hard to deny that the Portal's price is alluring. If I didn't know better, I'd be jumping at a PlayStation handheld for $200, especially one that provides that PS5 controller goodness. The unfortunate reality is that you're not really getting a portable console for that price: you're getting a "portal" to Sony's subscription service.

Here's my specific worry: the PlayStation Portal has been pretty successful, and Sony is absolutely one to follow market trends. The upfront reason it gave for pulling the plug on physical discs is that the vast majority of players apparently buy games digitally, so it could apply the same quantitative logic to its next handheld format.

I can certainly see a reality where Sony releases a slightly higher-spec version of the portal alongside the PS6, rather than making a Steam Deck rival like current rumours seem to suggest. I'd even say that, if component price hikes caused by AI datacentres continue to persist, we might even end up with streaming being platformed as a solution.

I'm already seeing brand interest in creating streaming devices reignite, despite the cold response to low-specs, dedicated handhelds like the Logitech G Cloud. Just this week, teasers for a Lenovo C700 handheld designed with Tencent's PLAY platform emerged, and Acer is also cooking up a portable primarily for cloud gaming.

Right now, all the stars look unfortunately aligned for a streaming resurgence, and that means the future of consoles could be missing more than just discs. There's every chance that all the main players will point to the cloud as a solution for unaffordable hardware prices, and that completely takes any "ownership" over your game library out of your hands.

I don't want to sound like I'm completely bashing cloud streaming, as plenty of players enjoy letting servers deal with performance. It also works for people who are into the hands-off Netflix-style of paying to play rather than owning, but stable internet connections and monthly subscriptions aren't a luxury universally available to all.

Keep in mind that the PlayStation Portal arrived just before RAMageddon really ramped up. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that Sony was already seriously thinking about hardware designed only for streaming games, rather than downloading purchased releases. In my eyes, there is a path in front of the console giant, and it seems to lead to some pretty stormy clouds.

Swing by the best retro handhelds if you're looking to play the classics.

Dunks have been coming in hard and fast since Sony announced it will be ending physical disc production in 2028. Domino's, Ryanair, and KFC are among the brands that jumped at the chance to joke about going all-digital. Games retailer GOG has now entered the fray, going straight for the jugular in terms of what the store offers customers.

Since GOG is a non-physical storefront, you can't get anything on disc directly from the company. What you can do, however, is buy a game, then put it on physical media yourself, for your own safekeeping, which is what GOG advises everyone to do.

"Download the offline installer of any of your games on GOG, save it to a disc, and it's yours forever," the company's official Twitter account says. "You don't need a storefront's permission to play what you bought."

This is an extension of the store's fundamental policy of giving the buyer as much power over their purchase as a digital outlet can offer. In contrast to Steam, where you need to be logged into your account to access your library, GOG gives you a downloadable installer for every game, letting you do what you will.

Digital libraries are precarious when it comes to what you actually own. Games are regularly delisted for a variety of reasons, and once they are, they can become inaccessible unless you already have them on your hard drive. Meanwhile, some users can wind up locked out of a game they wish to play due to criteria such as always online, or regional account requirements.

All of that is minimized when you have a copy to hand, in physical form. The caveat here is that GOG is on PC, where options like this have flourished going right back to Doom being shareware in the '90s. This alternative doesn't apply to PS5 users, but it may guide some people towards using PC instead in the future.

There are YouTube videos and other resources available if you'd like help with putting a game to disc yourself, and then making a label and cover art for it. If these things need to be DIY, then so be it - long live physical media.

PlayStation is ditching a $402 million market and destroying consumer "freedoms" by abandoning physical games, says major UK retail association

Following the news of Microsoft's plan to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox, analysts predict that the company's next-generation console won't do as well as PlayStation's – yet again.

The new predictions come straight from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan (as per GamesIndustry.biz), with its analysis first looking back at the past – and current – market.

"For now, the market faces a compounding problem: hardware that is either too old or too expensive for the median consumer, a software slate that is thin outside a handful of tentpole releases, and a macro environment that keeps any meaningful price relief off the table."

That checks out. Between the RAM shortages and Sony's announcement regarding its plan to axe physical discs for all new PlayStation games starting in 2028, it's not looking great for consoles. All of this, coupled with an "unhealthy Xbox," as the Microsoft gaming brand's CEO Asha Sharma dubs it, proves as much.
Nonetheless, S&P's console forecast works out what sales Sony and Xbox might see in the future – even if they're not as impressive.

Starting with Sony, the analysis notes that the PlayStation 5's own sales have dipped, and "S&P expects shipments to decline further" this year. The recent PlayStation 5 price increase, which saw the base console rise to $650 and Pro to a whopping $900, isn't helping.

We are talking about a "six-year-old device," as S&P puts it – and the analysts aren't sure big launches like GTA 6 are enough to make up for this price gap.

"That framing does not inspire confidence for 2027 or beyond."

Still, S&P's "forecast models a potential PlayStation 6 launch in 2028, contributing four million units in its first year and scaling to 17.2 million by 2030." Those figures might not look like all that much, especially when taking the Nintendo Switch 2 and its 17 million sales into account, but they're a whole lot better than what S&P thinks Xbox might see around the same time.

The firm predicts the next Xbox console – codenamed Project Helix – will sell about two million units in its first year post-launch, rising to just 7.3 million by 2030. That's… a lot smaller a figure than the 17.2 million S&P thinks the PlayStation 6 might hit.

But, as the analysis notes, "The actual outcome could look very different. A fully open PC platform with Xbox branding would not really resemble a console and likely not be counted in this model."

It concludes: "Our forecast is functionally splitting the difference between a proper Xbox successor and an Xbox-certification program with PC OEMs, and readers should treat the post-2027 Microsoft trajectory as a range of outcomes contingent on decisions yet to be made or revealed."

That makes sense, I suppose. After all, we don't know too much about Project Helix, and Xbox has been hard on its journey to bridge the gap between console and PC.

Should the new Xbox, whatever it may look like, sell that much less than its PlayStation counterpart, though… I'm not sure how things will play out on either end.

After "incomprehensible" Xbox layoffs, id Software producer says worker-owned studios are "the only path forward."

PlayStation Store's former boss has spoken out about "allegations of monopolization and price manipulation" on Sony's storefront, claiming that it's actually publishers that set the recommended retail price for games.

Folks have been looking at the prices on the PlayStation Store with even more disdain than usual lately following Sony's announcement that it'll be killing off physical discs for new PlayStation games from 2028. After all, one of the greatest virtues of physical games is that they're generally a lot more affordable. Between price cuts at retailers and the second-hand market, more often than not, your wallet will thank you for picking up a boxed copy of a game rather than a digital version, which often stays put at its full retail price outside of sales events.

Needless to say, the idea of not having any other choice to buy new PlayStation games going forward is concerning – many are worried that gaming is going to become even more expensive than it already is as a result, but according to one former exec, that pricing isn't Sony's fault. Gordon Thornton spent the best part of 18 years at Sony Interactive Entertainment before his departure in 2022, and in that time, he held many roles, including that of senior vice president and global head of PlayStation Store and services. On his LinkedIn page, he explains that he "built and scaled PlayStation's global direct-to-consumer business from inception to $13B in revenue, transforming the PlayStation Store into the world's largest digital games retailer and subscription platform."

With that in mind, Thornton was more than involved with the workings of the PlayStation Store, and speaking to Insider Gaming, he claims that Sony isn't responsible for the retail pricing of all games on the storefront – their publishers are. "Regarding allegations of monopolization and price manipulation, PlayStation operates on a buy/sell model where the publisher acts as the supplier," he begins. "Because the recommended retail price is set directly by the publisher, Sony does not control these pricing structures, which counters claims of unilateral price fixing."

Now, it's worth noting that this comes across as a bit odd, largely because it seems to contradict claims made by Sony itself when it was fighting back against a class-action lawsuit alleging violations of antitrust and unfair competition laws. Specifically, back in 2021, plaintiff Agustin Caccuri filed a class action complaint in which it was alleged that – amongst other things – "Sony also requires publishers who sell digital games on the PlayStation Store to relinquish full control over the retail price," and claimed that, unlike Xbox and Nintendo's stores, "game developers must cede total control over the retail price to Sony."

In a motion to dismiss filed in early 2022, Sony acknowledged the claim that it "'force[d] publishers to cede control over the final retail price' of digital games to Sony," and said: "Of course, that is how a wholesale model works: the wholesaler and retailer agree on a wholesale price and, in turn, the retailer sets the price of the product that it sells to consumers." It added: "Under the wholesale model, Sony and the publisher/developer agree upon a wholesale price and then Sony sets the retail price that it will charge consumers on the PlayStation Store."

It further explained: "The retailer (Sony) and the wholesaler (game publisher) agree on a wholesale price that the retailer will pay the wholesaler for the product (videogames); [...] the retailer sets the retail price, which typically includes a margin over the wholesale price; and [...] the retailer sells the product to consumers."

As it happens, a settlement for this lawsuit was preliminarily approved in April, and although things aren't final (there are still a number of stages, including the final approval hearing planned for October 15), eligible class members could collectively be set to receive $7.85 million if it goes through.

Last time PlayStation threatened to close PS3 and Vita digital stores, the players revolted: "As gamers and collectors this is a hard pill to swallow."

The Last of Us star Troy Baker says he would be up for anything when it comes to continuing the Naughty Dog series.

Spoilers for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2 follow

Speaking to Insider Gaming, Baker was asked about the potential for a prequel game focusing on his character, Joel, and his brother, Tommy (played by Jeffrey Pierce), before Ellie was even born.

Baker responds simply, "I would be on board with anything." He explains, "If Neil [Druckmann] decides that he has a place for me, then I’ve learned at this point to listen to him, because he’s really smart."

As for the idea itself, Baker adds, "There’s this beautiful thing about the mystery of what happened between Tommy and Joel, there is all the time, the 20 years, you’ve got such beautiful lore to choose from. I think that makes a great foundation for a story."

Now, a prequel is seemingly the only way Baker could return to the series in a substantial way, given that Joel dies in a freak golfing accident in the opening hours of The Last of Us Part 2, thus taking a sequel appearance off the cards. However, Baker adds, "I’ve also learned to trust Naughty Dog, and maybe there’s a whole other story there that we’re not thinking about."

"I’m going to let Neil and Naughty Dog decide, as we look forward, are we looking back? Are we going to revisit something? Or are we going to continue to reinvent. That’s their call," Baker explains, adding, "whether it is something that you are playing, or with me with a controller in hand, I’m there day one."

Both Baker and The Last of Us series director Neil Druckmann are currently busy on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet at Naughty Dog. And given it's been over six years since the studio's previous title, the potential for a The Last of Us continuation is probably not likely in the near future. However, teasers that a new entry could be on the way have come from the likes of Druckmann and Baker over the years. However, if it is a sequel, Baker's role would likely be relegated to flashback scenes.

"We had influenced the industry" – The Last of Us and God of War tackling "serious, emotional subjects" made the creator of a PS3 classic feel like they had left their mark

You can add the UK retail organization The Entertainment Retailer's Association (ERA) to the bloated shelf of enemies PlayStation has collected since announcing it would stop producing physical game discs by 2028. The association representing major UK game retailers like Amazon and Sainsbury's can't believe PlayStation wants to leave so much money still swaying on the tree.

"ERA consumer data shows that 25% of under 25s use discs for gaming and the total [UK] disc-based games market was valued at over £300 million" – about $402 million – "in 2025," says Retailer's Association CEO Kim Bayley, as reported by The Game Business. "The industry should be embracing every legitimate way consumers want to buy games, not narrowing their choices."

I think it's rare that moneymakers, like the people who represent Sainsbury's, and mere mortal video game players, who are tired of everything in the industry getting worse and more expensive, agree. But it seems that PlayStation's plan to, in its own words, "remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience" by exploding an important facet of game preservation, ownership, artistry, dignity, and indeed, sales, can bring together uneasy allies.

It appears, then, that Bayley shares an opinion with GamesRadar+ staff writer Dustin Bailey, who recently (and correctly) observed, "The secondhand NES that I got as a kid in the '90s still works, albeit with a bit of repair work. The same goes for all of my old games, with many hundreds of other titles still available to buy secondhand. When I spent $700 on a PS5 Pro, my expectation was that it, too, would continue to work for another 30 or 40 years [...]. But what good is the promise of that investment when the PS6 comes around and every single game I purchase is tied to a server that Sony could choose to shut down at any time?"

Similarly, Bayley argues, "A disc can be shared with family, traded in, collected, preserved and, crucially, still played years from now. A download licence often offers none of those freedoms."

It seems that many people who like buying and selling video games don't want another reason for the industry to fail, who knew?

"Removing discs doesn't represent progress," says Bayley. "It simply removes choice. That's bad for gamers, bad for retailers, and ultimately bad for the long-term health and preservation of our games industry."

Former PlayStation boss thinks "we've lost a lot of the variety in games," and we can thank the "rising cost" of new titles for that: "We had so many crazy games on PS1."

Former PlayStation lead Shawn Layden thinks that "we've lost a lot of the variety in games" releasing these days, with more titles that look like "the game next to it" rather than something entirely unique – and you can thank "the rising cost" of development for that.

It's no secret that game budgets are inflating massively. Earlier this year, it was reported that new AAA games could cost upwards of $300 million to make, and with that in mind, it's little wonder that publishers have such high standards for what actually counts as a success these days. What's more, as Layden, the former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, points out, those massive costs are also driving "risk tolerance" extremely low.

"I was at a game awards show a couple of years ago, and I was a bit disappointed to see that all the games I saw at that awards presentation were either zombie apocalypse, some kind of space marines, [or] guys in medieval Europe with really big swords," Layden tells PSI in an interview (below).

"That was so central to what everyone was building. There's so many games that looked like the game next to it and looked like the game next to it," he says, adding: "I'm concerned that in today's world, quirky games like PaRappa the Rapper don't get made anymore."

Layden continues: "I think we've lost a lot of the variety in games that are out there. We have: 'this one's a looter shooter, and this one's a hero shooter, this one's an extraction shooter. Shooter, shooter, shooter.' We have mountains of those. But where's the next Katamari Damacy?"

Furthermore, he warns that the games industry could be losing "the opportunity to attract new users" by refraining from increasing the amount of different kinds of games on offer to players.

With all that said, Layden obviously sees the reason why this is the case: "The rising cost of games." He explains: "I mean, if you could make a game for $5 or $6 million, like we could back on PlayStation One, then you'd do ten games. [...] Like, let's see what people are excited by.

"We had so many crazy games on PS1 because the cost to risk was manageable. You know, you could literally throw away $6 to $7 million on a project that didn't work, but go, 'Well, at least we learned something.' Now, if every throw of the dice is triple digit millions, then risk tolerance goes to about zero."

Now, Layden says, trying to get funding for a new game means getting hit with questions like, "'is it a sequel? Is it an established IP?'" Devs might find themselves pitching something as "'like Fortnite meets Call of Duty in Zombieland,'" he suggests. But ultimately, "no one wants to take a risk on unicorn ballet in space. No one's going to give you any money to make that game, even if it's really super exciting.

"So yeah, the high cost is driving risk tolerance to zero," he concludes. "I think as long as we judge games solely on revenue projections, then, you know, again, your risk tolerance goes to zero."

It's not that games that stray from the mainstream don't exist, of course. I think it's fairly safe to say that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's popularity last year was, at the very least in part, driven by the things that made it different, from its blend of action and turn-based combat, its delightfully French vibes, to its stellar story. Similarly, before Balatro blew up, could you honestly say you'd played a Poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder full of illegal cards and weird Jokers? I doubt it, somehow. The point remains – let's have more unique, weird, and wonderful games, please.

Ex-PlayStation boss says PC ports weren't losing Sony any hardware sales, questions how it could think otherwise now it's reportedly keeping big single-player games console-exclusive.

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden is a big believer that "single player, narrative-driven gaming is here to stay," saying it's "what sustains" the business.

When you think of PlayStation's greatest hits, chances are, you're going to think of a whole bunch of single-player games. Whether it's The Last of Us, God of War, Uncharted, or Ghost of Tsushima, there's no doubt that games like this have been huge drivers of PlayStation's success, and although Sony has delved more into the world of live-service in recent years (to mixed success), Layden – former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment America – says it's with single-player games the games business was built, and what'll continue to keep it going.

"I firmly believe that single player, narrative-driven gaming is here to stay," he tells PSI in an interview on YouTube (below). "It's how we built this business. That's what sustains it. It's a type of game where you can enjoy it by yourself and talk to friends about it. Maybe there's multiplayer, maybe there isn't.

"But I think essentially most of our great gaming experiences are when we allow ourselves to be immersed in that world with that character, to learn that story, more so than 'I got online with a bunch of friends and we played team deathmatch.'"

That's not to say that live-service games don't have their place, of course. Helldivers 2, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, has been hugely successful since its launch two years ago. However, we've obviously also seen a lot of live-service horror stories – Concord didn't even last two weeks before it was shut down for good, and while it still has plenty of fans, Destiny 2 has been in decline for a long time at this point, so much so that it's now received its final update.

It's worth noting that Layden's comments were made before Sony's announcement that it's killing physical discs for new PlayStation games in 2028, so he's not responding to that backlash here. In a separate interview about that decision, Layden called the move "dramatic," and suggested it could "heavily influence" Xbox and Nintendo's approach to physical games going forward.

Sony killing physical PlayStation games has folks so angry that its announcement has even more views than Rockstar's GTA 6 trailer posts on Twitter.

Following last week's announcement that PlayStation will cease production on physical game discs starting in 2028, collectors, game preservationists, and even activists have been rallying to slow the inevitable, with some going as far as to call on authorities to put a stop to Sony's decision. However, in a blow to those hoping for some sort of legal ruling, an EU commissioner has said companies are free to release games however they please.

Although far from an official ruling, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, recently told reporters in Strasbourg's European Parliament (via the Irish Mirror) that he doesn't think it's the government's job to get in the way of the free market so long as laws aren't being broken.

"It does come down to commercial and contractual freedoms, and companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit, provided that consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law," McGrath said.

Referring to last month's EU ruling against Stop Killing Games and the decision against recommending new legislation to prevent publishers from revoking access to online-only games, McGrath adds, "We did have to consider a European citizens initiative on this question of whether games should continue to be available after a new edition of the game has been brought forward." It seems in McGrath's view, the decision to stop producing a physical product being the manufacturer's choice is a more clear-cut case.

From everything we've seen so far, it seems unlikely that Sony will reverse its stance on getting rid of physical games ahead of the next generation of consoles, which likely won't include a disc drive-equipped PS6 unless something major changes. One noteworthy analyst recently said Sony "will not reverse" its plan and that, "They knew what the online reaction would look like, and they now wait for this storm to pass."

Of course, this sort of consumer rights-focused view does beg the question of how digital rights, and what you actually get with a license, could be expanded – something else that analysts and advocates have focused on.

Speaking of: PS6 "won't arrive until 2028 at the earliest," analyst predicts following Sony's decision to kill physical games, and the base model won't have a disc drive

As the industry continues to reel from Sony's decision to stop making physical PlayStation games in 2028, some publishers are standing firm in their dedication to discs. Chinese company Astrolabe Games is among these ranks, purportedly planning to continue releasing tangible versions of its games for as long as it's financially viable.

The publisher, known for games like Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog and BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, said as much in what it calls the A-GO Manifesto, a response to Sony's plans, made public on July 10. Within this document is testament to the glory of owning your games in physical form.

Essentially, everything on the current Astrolabe slate, which runs up to the end of 2027, will be eligible for a run on disc. These runs will, at the very least, be "minimum order," and they'll come out in at least one of the territories Astrolabe distributes to, which are Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Just to clarify, minimum ordering is the baseline for what a manufacturer will allow if you're buying anything wholesale. For instance, wherever Astrolabe gets its circular plastic from might have a minimum order of 5,000. Thus, at least 5,000 copies would be made. This minimum exists to make sure the manufacturer has a sufficient baseline profit margin.

There are no guarantees these discs will reach all three regions, meaning you might have to import a copy if something catches your eye. I suspect Asia will be prioritized since it's where the company is based, but plenty of collectors will be used to shelling out extra for certain games.

Likewise, Astrolabe makes a few exceptions. For example, if "new policies" make disc-creation impossible, the devs don't lock down a releasable version by deadline, or if distribution channels are already at capacity by the time of release. Once 2028 rolls around, the barrier then becomes Sony's non-existent pipeline for discs, too.

In a tweet on July 1, the publisher said it will "continue till the last day," when it comes to making game discs.

"Physical games are more than simple products - they are lasting testaments to the passion, artistry, and countless hours developers pour into their craft," Astrolabe founder Jokery Zhou says in a statement. "The A-GO Manifesto is our promise to players and developers alike: give it A GO, and so will we."

Three games are already confirmed: Gurei, Fall Up, and Omega Phenex Commended Project Six. Expect more to follow in the months ahead.

PlayStation ending physical games is "like Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops," says analyst: "Not a single person is complaining about it today."

Cult of the Lamb may have launched back in 2022, but the official X (Twitter) profile page announced on July 10, 2026 that a Cult of Lamb Collector's Edition is headed to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

The $149.99 (Amazon) / £129.99 (Amazon) physical edition is set to launch on March 12, 2027 and includes a boxed version of the Definitive Edition of the game on either platform alongside a smorgasbord of physical goodies, including a 200+ page artbook, double-sided metal poster, a comic book, and my favorite addition of the lot - a 7-inch vinyl record that includes the tracks Praise the Lamb and Start a Cult, composed by the masterful and late game composer, River Boy. If you want a copy for yourself, this "once-in-a-lifetime release" is now available for both UK and US fans.

If Sony's July 1, 2026 announcement had you worrying that publishers like Devolver Digital (alongside developers Massive Monster) would stop releasing physical editions, this upcoming collector's edition should help quell your fears for the interim. However, this specific "once-in-a-lifetime release" wording, as found under the Amazon UK listing for the game, has me worried this could be one of the last few chances fans have to own the game physically. Or at least a version this bursting at the seams with physical merchandise.

If you pre-order the Cult of Lamb Collector's Edition ahead of its March 12, 2027 release, you get all the goodies I mentioned above, including a 44-card Oracle Deck + guide on how to read 'em (which I assume is the developer's version of a Tarot Card deck judging from the name alone), and a steelbook case featuring disturbing yet immensely cool art of The Lamb. Yet as much as I adore the steelbook case, I grabbed my copy for the vinyl record, which includes a green and black splatter effect and The Lamb on the front doing their best 'Midsommar' impression.

I collect and play video game OSTs on vinyl but missed out on owning the limited 2LP Splatter Colored Vinyl release of the soundtrack in the past. I was also moved by the Cult of the Lamb's X (Twitter) thread, which mentioned its inclusion was "dedicated to our beloved friend River Boy" and couldn't not own his work and a little part of indie game history.

If you want a copy of the Cult of the Lamb: Collector's Edition for yourself, the PS5 and Switch pre-orders were originally available in the UK first. However, both versions are now live on Amazon US for $149.99, respectively.

Trying to grab what physical game releases you can? Check out the Halloween: The Game Limited Collectors Edition pre-order, which includes a Michael Myers action figure by Trick or Treat Studios.

Likening Sony's impending deathblow to physical PlayStation games to Apple removing disc drives from its laptops, reputable games analyst Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners argues that the shift to digital "would inevitably happen" on consoles and current conversations around consumer rights are better served targeting digital rights and "what a license should enable."

In a lengthy post on Twitter, Ahmad fields another user's question: "Is the PlayStation disc situation reminding anyone else of Apple deciding to get rid of the headphone jack?"

Ahmad reckons, "It's more like Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops starting in 2008. There were definitely a high number of complaints at the time, but not a single person is complaining about it today. You couldn't find many people complaining in the early 2010s either."

He lays out some of the data driving Sony's decision to end disc support. Full game sales are "around 80%" digital on PlayStation and "over 90%" digital on Xbox, Ahmad begins.

Heading off one counterpoint regarding digital dominance, he adds, "Yes, these numbers include digital only games, reflecting the current market environment, but they don't include DLC, microtransactions or subscriptions / free games."

He also downplays some Insomniac Games sales figures which have been presented as evidence that physical still represents a healthy chunk of PS5 sales, saying they are "out of date" and only show sell in, rather than sell through, which is inflated "because Sony counts bundles as retail sales, even if it's a digital code with the console."

Ahmad reasons that "the console ecosystem is nearly entirely digital at this point," with many of the most-played games on PS5 skipping discs entirely (and GTA 6 notably joining this camp), and digital-only PS5s seeing a "current sell through rate" above 50% (even if 70% of PS5s sold do have a disc drive, by his figures).

The simple explanation for Sony's decision here is about what you'd expect: money and control. It and publishers would "prefer to sell all games digitally if they could for the higher margins," Ahmad says, and that includes effectively shutting out the secondhand market to ensure "a closed ecosystem." (As a quick aside, this is also why consumers stand strictly to lose options and versatility in this proposed digital future.)

He echoes a point recently made by Circana's Mat Piscatella: the next console generation is staring down a pricing hurdle which will lead to a smaller install base and/or much slower adoption, meaning platform holders like Sony will focus on increased profitability for the base they do capture. Sony described an increased focus on "monetizing our user base" in a recent report to shareholders, in fact. Shifting to higher-margin digital sales is part of this strategy, Ahmad agrees.

Ahmad puts it this way: "Sony knows the PS6 is entering a market where consoles will cost over $1,000 and the average console player will think twice about upgrading on day one. While part of it is cutting costs, it's also a realization that consoles are no longer going to be $199 mass market devices and they will need to focus on hardcore gamers who are willing to spend more than ever." In some ways, this puts the PS6 in a similar position to the PS5 Pro as a much more enthusiast-first product that is not expected to have a whole generation-sized footprint.

In essence, he adds, Sony is paraphrasing notorious former Xbox exec Don Mattrick and saying, "We already have a device that can play discs, and it's called the PS5."

Ahmad criticizes Sony's handling of the no-physical news. He, like others, doubts the company will reverse its decision, but expects it to "end up clarifying certain aspects" that should have been laid out to begin with. "Had they talked about a disc to digital program, or confirmed a disc add-on for the PS6, the backlash wouldn't have been as strong," he says. Xbox is reportedly testing its own method of digitizing physical game collections, as it happens.

Additionally, Ahmad says he does believe that "used physical games helps increase overall affordability," and that Sony "could support physical games for a few more years" if it wanted to, "especially through a limited run style model or at a more expensive price point compared to the digital version."

It's no coincidence that Nintendo is supporting physical games on Switch 2, even if some are just game-key cards, partly by selling digital versions $10 cheaper.

As we face a digital future, Ahmad advocates that, "Regardless of whether we're talking about bringing physical back, or embracing digital, the conversation needs to shift to consumer rights and what a license should enable. Stop Killing Games was one part of it, but gifting, family sharing, refunds, and other aspects are just as important."

These digital features and the discussions around them tend to be a bit more advanced on PC, where games have effectively been digital-only for a while. On general-purpose PCs, games are also more readily archivable and, often, available through multiple stores (which aren't tied to generational blackouts like the PS3 and Vita), which is partly why digital-only games on PC and console can't be directly equated.

Returning to the Apple analogy, Ahmad concludes, "This time a new laptop will cost $5k and my old one with a disc drive works just fine."

Does anyone actually want new consoles?

The collective industry isn't too happy with Sony right now after the company's decision to unilaterally move away from physical discs in 2028. Despite uproar from multiple corners, including studios both indie and triple-A, one consultant warns we shouldn't count on Sony walking back this choice.

"I sympathize with physical media fans, but Sony will not reverse this decision. They knew what the online reaction would look like, and they now wait for this storm to pass," Dr Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, tells IGN as he weighs up the numbers.

"Sony has over 120 million active PlayStation users. Around 50 million people subscribe to PlayStation Plus," he comments. "As a thought experiment, let's say 500,000 cancel in protest, that would be just 1% of that business gone. Of course, not enough for Sony to start rethinking. Digital is just too lucrative."

As much as I try to maintain optimism, my pragmatic side agrees with Toto's argument here. Sony will have punched these numbers many times, looking at the impact from all sorts of angles, and come to the most cost-effective solution. Digital simply allows the corporation to maximize profits and control distribution to a greater degree.

There are a lot of regular PlayStation players who have already transitioned to an entirely non-physical library, bolstered by the robust selection on PlayStation Plus. This shift won't change how they acquire or play their games, and it'll take large numbers of that install base canceling their subscriptions in order for a protest to matter within Sony. (Of course, even people who don't buy physical games benefit from the presence of physical games immensely.)

I say this as someone who believes we should do it anyway, because physical media matters.

Sony's already begun transitioning a disc manufacturing plant over to another industry, so at least some jobs have been protected in the wake of all this.

PlayStation's disc-less future could "heavily influence" Xbox and Nintendo's approach to physical games, former Sony boss says, calling the decision "dramatic."

In the aftershock of Sony's announcement on July 1, 2026, that the production of physical PS5 games would be "be discontinued starting January 2028" waves of discussion online immediately centered on the effect it was going to have on consumers and, most importantly, employees working in retail environments that focused on the selling of modern physical games.

The latter of which is one of the most important factors in my eyes, especially as someone who likely wouldn't be writing these words to you today had it not been for the helpful and passionate employees working at places like GAME (known as Electronics Boutique) during my childhood. However, I can't help but feel like film buffs and those who collect physical Blu-rays have been left out of the discussion.

PS5 consoles are incredibly helpful for playing not just physical games, but Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra High-Definition Blu-rays too. If you have one sitting below your TV, you don't have to spend more and invest in a dedicated 4K player, which costs upwards of $297.99 at Amazon, as they can play them for you. Yet, with physical games on the way out, and the likelihood of the PS6 launching without a disc drive getting ever stronger, movie fans may have to go back to relying on separate devices to play their vast film collections.

The PS5 is integrated with a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, and it's one of the many reasons why I've continued to garner an impressive movie collection.

While your average standard Blu-ray release can be awash with decent extras and collector flair, 4K UHD Blu-rays often release alongside additional goodies like behind-the-scenes documentaries and content, and like in the case of my £99.99 Titanic 4K UHD Blu-ray Collector's Edition copy (that no one who knows will be surprised to know I own), includes movie prop reproductions, sheet music for the film's iconic 'My Heart Will Go On' track, and even blueprints of the real-life ship.

It's not just me that gets a kick out of these collector-friendly editions. According to a report by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), as discovered by our friends at What Hi-Fi, sales of the 4K UHD discs rose by 12 per cent in 2025 in the US, compared to 2024. While the report doesn't state that this renewed interest is due to film fans already owning devices that support them, that's personally why I continue to grab them alongside standard Blu-ray and DVD. Even despite their lofty price points.

4K UHD Blu-rays are not cheap, and I usually get a look of discontent from at least one friend when I inform them that I just spent upwards of £39.99 at Amazon in the UK for just one single film, like the 85th Anniversary Theatre Edition of The Wizard of OZ (1939). Alternatively, I could have grabbed the Judy Garland classic for as little as £8.99 on standard Blu-ray instead, but I was raised by a film buff who implored me of the merits of classics looking their best, and I'm a sucker for physical extras.

However, the biggest reason behind that purchase and my increasing 4K collection is, of course, that my PS5 can play them, so why not invest? I already have a PS5 in my setup to play games, so it feels like I'm getting the most value out of the device by using it to play 4K Blu-rays too. Especially when you consider the price you can expect to pay for a standalone player in 2026.

A Sony-branded 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player, like that of the Sony UBP-X700K, is currently listed for £269 at Amazon in the UK and $328 (Amazon) in the US. While you don't have to resort to picking up a fancy branded model, even scouring through the available players available today doesn't yield good pricing options. For standard Blu-rays, it's a lot easier, as you can find individual devices for around the $100 / £100 mark and out-of-the-box versions for less, pretty easily.

Alas, while they share the same blue-violet laser tech as the 4K versions, they don't have the optics needed to play 4K UHD Blu-rays. So instead, if you were in need of a separate player, you'd be looking at alternatives like the Panasonic DP-UB154EG-K, which costs £194.01 at Amazon in the UK, or $239.99 at Best Buy in the US. A price I do not look forward to having to deal with in Sony's all-digital post January 2028 future.

Despite being as big a film buff as I am, I'd honestly likely not have invested in them at all had my PS5 not supported them. Sure, I used to have separate players for DVDs in the past, but that's because off-brand ones were affordable at the time. I even managed to get a low-cost multi-region player that was able to play my random assortment of US anime DVDs, which I still own to this very day. Yet cheap 4K Blu-ray players are not really a thing, which is why I was always heralded the PS5 as a great console before now, as it held plenty of value to film and game fans alike.

I purchased my PS5 shortly after launch and before any price hikes for £449. A price that feels more than fair for a device that could play games, 4K movies, and allow me to experience digital and streaming services on top of that too. Yet, a future where next-gen consoles like the PS6 cannot support 4K films or physical movies at all is one I don't look forward to.

Of course, the idea that the PS6 may not be able to play 4K UHD Blu-rays is entirely speculation for now, as Sony has not confirmed anything regarding the upcoming PlayStation 6. There's a small and minute chance that it could release with a disc drive variant that supports 4K Blu-ray discs, or support the official Sony Disc Drive that you can purchase separately, but I'm not holding out hope.

Regardless of the outcome, a digital-only PS6 won't hinder my love and support of physical media, though it's looking like it may physically cost me more in the long-run. Despite the fears of disc rot and eventually running out of shelf space, I made a concerned effort to own all my favorite films, TV shows, and anime physically, so I always can play my favorites, in-sprite if they come with collector's edition goodies like my 4K UH Blu-rays or not.

I love having a piece of physical media that I can have and hold, and that's the case when it comes to both games and film. Despite being subscribed to at least 5 streaming services, it's more than common to find they don't have what I want to watch. Or worse, they remove what I once loved, like the Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies TV series, which is now only available to watch officially through a physical format.

Digital-only also puts you at risk of losing access to movies you've once purchased, something they cannot do with my physical collection - unless they want to barge into my home and physically pry my 4K UHD Blu-ray collection from my cold, dead hands. And to that I can say, you can try, but my pride in my Titanic 4K UHD Blu-ray and the rest of my physical film collection is one that will go on and on, no matter what Sony's physical media decisions entail.

If you want to make the most out of your multitasking PS5 while you can, check out our guides to the best PS5 controllers, best PS5 headsets, and the best SSDs for PS5.

So long as the current gaming climate hasn't made you throw out your consoles in a fit of rage, you can soon grab a pair of Razer's Hammerhead V3 X Hyperspeed earphones for both your Xbox Series X/S and the PS5.

Razer unveiled on July 9, 2026, that both an Xbox and a PS5 model of the best gaming earbud contenders were incoming, sporting bespoke Xbox and Sony branding. Of course, these new earphones aren't just about showcasing the brand's synonymous logos and black and white color palettes, as they now allow full Bluetooth support to work natively on both consoles, which was not previously possible.

Xbox and PS5 consoles don't natively support Bluetooth audio, which is why you often see the best gaming headsets released in Xbox models too. However, with these upcoming buds, that won't be an issue, though you'll have to wait a bit to find out pricing and availability if you want these buds for yourself.

Razer has remained hush-hush on the pricing and availability for these upcoming earphones for now. However, both incoming Hammerhead V3 X Hyperspeed earbuds for Xbox and PS5 appear identical to the existing model, besides the fact that each one will allow Bluetooth audio to work without a hitch.

They'll not only provide you with Bluetooth 5.3 support, but you'll also be able to take advantage of the brand's speedy ultra-low-latency 2.4 GHz audio, which you can enable by plugging the charging case into the console of your choice. That's right, the included HyperSpeed Case doesn't just look the part with its RGB lighting, but it doubles up as a wireless transmitter, so you don't have to keep track of any tiny additional dongles.

Talking of the buds HyperSpeed Case, it can provide an additional 25 hours of charge for the buds, adding to the 10 hours of existing playback. Up to 35 hours isn't to scoff at, especially if these upcoming buds are priced at a similar $100 price point to the non-Xbox and PS5 model.

Additionally, the earbuds feature an IPX4-rated water-resistant design, so they'll double up as a great way to listen to music on the go, something I do with my SteelSeries Arctis Game Buds regularly. However, gamers will be able to specifically take advantage of the pair's spatial audio capabilities, which include support with Windows Sonic for Xbox platforms, 3D Audio on PlayStation, and THX Spatial Audio on PC, so even those who play their favorite Xbox titles on their gaming PCs haven't been excluded.

Razer did not include any pricing or availability details in its Hammerhead V3 X Hyperspeed for Xbox and PlayStation announcement, so you'll have to be patient if you want these for yourself. However, PS5 players can simply grab the existing pair if you don't mind giving Bluetooth a miss. In fact, that could even be the cheaper option if these proprietary Xbox and PS5 versions drive up the MSRP - which is worth looking out for.

• View all Razer gaming earbuds at Amazon

If you prefer traditional cups to earbuds, I've also rounded up the best PS5 headsets, the best Xbox Series X headsets, and the best PC headsets for gaming available today.

Former Marathon and Destiny 2 director Christopher Barrett has reached an agreement with both Bungie and Sony following his $200 million lawsuit against the companies.

As per his LinkedIn, Barrett spent over two decades at Bungie, starting his career there as an art director back in 1999. Most recently (for well over 10 years, mind you), the developer was a game director leading projects like Marathon and the now-dying Destiny 2. He left Bungie unexpectedly in the spring of 2024 – and that's where things get a bit messy.

Reports following his departure alleged inappropriate behavior toward female colleagues.

Barrett said he was actually fired so his employers could avoid paying him about $45 million under his employment contract, stating that they were trying to "deflect attention from their massive business failures."

Then, he sued both Bungie and Sony for $200 million, citing a "premeditated scheme to terminate" him and "avoid paying him the tens of millions of dollars he was owed." It's all… a lot.

Sony did respond, sharing supposed examples of Barrett's allegedly inappropriate behavior and a rundown of his financial earnings.

There hasn't been much to say about the case since then, but Barrett's most recent post on LinkedIn confirms that moves have been made – and that a settlement has been reached.

"I am pleased to share that Sony, Bungie, and I have reached an agreement to resolve the lawsuit," it reads.

"The outcome is one I am very satisfied with, and I am grateful to everyone who stood by me. Closing this chapter allows me to focus my attention on what's next in my gaming journey, and I look forward to what lies ahead."

At the end, Barrett includes "the parties' joint statement," which reasserts that they've settled the case and the dev's name has been added to the credits of Marathon "to reflect" his work on the shooter as game director.

Like I said earlier, it's all certainly a lot. Here's hoping that this truly is in the past now, and that every party involved can move forward.

In the ashes of Destiny 2, furious developer creates playable Pete Parsons-themed parody raid where the former Bungie CEO attacks "the entire playerbase" with cars

No new content is coming to Destiny 2 following its final major update and heavy layoffs at developer Bungie, but the game is keeping the lights on with irregular hotfixes. The studio has admitted it can't guarantee fixes to all reported problems going forward, but one member of the team says some solutions may be workable.

Bungie released the patch notes for a small Destiny 2 update earlier today. It's actually not all that miserably tiny; we've seen smaller updates during livelier periods of the game. But it is basically just a bunch of fixed issues, and that's all we'll see going forward.

Every time Bungie releases a patch like this nowadays, players wonder if this is the last Destiny 2 patch, and blog post, ever. Has the game died its true death? One Twitter user put the question to the Destiny 2 Team account earlier today, and Bungie principal comms manager dmg04 responded.

"There may be moments where we break glass for highest priority issues (game crashes)," he explains. "There will indeed still be downtimes for general server maintenance/upkeep. If we have the opportunity, a small fix could sneak in here or there."

You might think that no new updates means no new crashes, but I've learned not to doubt the power of spaghetti code.

Previously, the Destiny 2 Team account told players that an incoming patch would come "when possible" and contained a "handful of fixes" from "impacted team members." It's a sad story up and down: issues being fixed by people who are no longer at the studio, as that studio tries to keep its head above water at a dire time for the industry altogether.

Id Software veteran of over 20 years absolutely rips and tears into Microsoft after devastating layoffs: "XBOX decided half the team was no longer needed."

Valve hasn't released a few official Steam figures in several years, but reasonable math from a reputable source reckons the biggest store in PC gaming is hovering around 200 million monthly active users, which would make it more than 50% larger than the entire PlayStation platform.

This soft figure comes from Simon Carless' GameDiscoverCo newsletter. Carless used some pretty basic math and alternate data sources to estimate Steam's growth over the past few years, and we can check it ourselves with some equally simple arithmetic based on Valve's 2025 Steam report.

Carless notes that Steam's Digital Services Act notice affirms that the store had "an average of 31.1 million monthly active recipients" in the EU as of the second half of 2025 (this has been cited elsewhere as well). He used this figure as a base to compare the EU's Steam audience to the store's entire demographic, and for that he consulted Steam's public bandwidth chart, which tracks how much data is used where.

Already, caveats come into play. We don't know exactly how much activity makes someone a monthly active user (MAU) under these terms – for example, playing a game versus viewing the homepage or one Steam sale link – nor will bandwidth usage perfectly correlate with user distribution.

However, the math, with non-EU countries removed from Europe's stats, does roughly line up. Carless notes that this approach puts Steam at around 198 million MAU for the second half of 2025, meaning it may have crossed 200 million by now.

Now for official stats. In 2021, Valve said Steam had 132 million MAU. This year, the company said Steam had been gaining about 3.4 million concurrent users each year ever since hitting 25 million for the first time five years ago.

Again, we have to make an assumption: that Steam's concurrent users and MAU grew at exactly the same rate, which they surely did not. But they probably weren't massively detached, either, so we can approximate MAU using that rate (3.4 being 13.6% of 25) to plot five years of growth.

The most generous version of this estimation gives us around 213 to 221 million MAU. We see this range because using 2021's peak of 27.4 million concurrent users as a base reduces the growth rate to 12.4%. Either way, this isn't far off Carless' result. He used a similar formula to gauge his findings and got 210 million; I just plugged in a slightly different number based on Valve's blogs.

This method would also give us roughly 44 million concurrent Steam users, which is only about 9% ahead of the actual 41.2 million users that Valve reports in Steam's charts hub. We assuredly don't have the street address right, but we're probably in the right zip code, or at least the right county.

This is an exercise more than anything, and I wouldn't use this kind of soft math if I were building a space shuttle. But, especially given the larger growth in PC gaming versus console gaming, it does seem fair to assume that Steam is around 50% larger than PlayStation.

A recently translated report from Sony confirms PlayStation had 125 million monthly active users in March 2026, which, as a reminder, is below what Steam had five years ago. If we remove a chunk from the most conservative Steam estimate we have, we'd be right in line with the 187 million monthly users we'd need to hit that 50% mark.

Instead of putting its games on PC, Sony apparently wants to escape the reputation that "PlayStation equals the living room" by selling monitors and speakers.

The Nintendo Switch is dead; long live Nintendo Switch. As my least-favorite console of the last decade, entombed in its dock until my fiancée decides to finish The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I'm surprised by how sentimental I feel in the wake of Nintendo's latest announcement. Sales of the original Switch family in the UK and Europe will cease in early 2027, just in time for the last-gen console's 10th anniversary.

It's darkly poetic that a console should die a month out from its birthday. But this is no true death. Rather, I see the end of its reign in EU markets as a step toward a new future – one where the Switch OLED, Lite, and classic editions are forever enshrined among other discontinued consoles that can still be enjoyed today. And yes, that means the OG Switch is officially retro.

Down but not out

Hear me out before you hunt down my email or unload your vitriol in the comments section. We are living in a very strange new world when it comes to gaming trends and markets. What's new is too expensive, and what's old is too viable to dismiss.

The price of a new Nintendo Switch 2 console has risen globally by $30-50 since its launch last summer. Xbox Series X consoles have seen an even steeper price hike in recent months, while a brand new PS5 Pro has risen to almost $1,000 in Sony's latest round of retail refreshes. The global RAM shortage and other side effects of the AI boom are the culprit here. To top it all off, the impending cessation of physical PS5 game discs by 2028 will see Sony embracing a digital-only future that will suck for everyone.

Not only are gamers being priced out of their own hobby, the element of choice in how we collect our games is suddenly being eroded. There's something slightly heartening, then, about Nintendo's decision to sunset its original Switch.

It’s easier to be kinder to discontinued consoles. They shift from being a site of active and ongoing critique, whether it be a price hike or something as industry-quaking as threatening physical ownership altogether, to historical time capsules. It's probably what's making me look upon my own classic Nintendo Switch with a little more softness as I anticipate the fact that this, too, shall pass.

And pass, it must. It's the natural way of things, and it doesn't mean a console is immediately no longer fit for enjoyment. I remember when the Nintendo DS Lite was discontinued. The 3DS had been booming for three years by that point, but instead of demanding a new handheld for my 19th birthday two months before I went to University, I held on to it. Why would I replace something that still worked fine?

My DS Lite – a limited edition silver and black model with the Guitar Hero logo emblazoned on the front – still sits in my bedside drawer. The charger cable is more of a charger tangle at this point, stiff and yellowed with age, though perfectly capable of re-juicing the decades-old handset whenever I please. I break it out for the odd visit to The Sims 2's Strangetown or to feed my Nintendogs from time to time. Someday, I hope to copy my friend: years after receiving a classic DS for Christmas when we were just 11 years old, she passed it down to her son as his one and only device when he turned six. His friends are definitely jealous, even the iPad kids – the dual screens and stylus combo is just as exciting today as it was in 2004, apparently.

Old and still gold

Games consoles as heirlooms sounds like a strange concept. But each and every one is a piece of technological history. The best DS games are just as playable now as they were in 2006. Given the formatting demands of a DS game, many can't be accessed on any other family of consoles. They're windows to the past, allowing us to experience the simplicity of days gone by, and I wouldn't part with my DS Lite or PS2 for anything.

But unlike the DS Lite or PS2, you might not view the Switch as a retro console yet. You'd be right about that in theory. The Switch doesn't quite meet the textbook definition of retro just yet – just like the PS4 or Xbox One, the more appropriate term might be last or past-gen. But with tech specs having always lagged just behind Sony and Microsoft's since it launched in 2017, the line between "retro" and "last-gen" is blurrier than ever. The latter infers an inherently unfavorable comparison to current gen consoles, outdated in the face of modernity. Retro proudly claims neither. It refuses to compete, and therefore becomes cool again.

Maybe it's not time for Switch to be considered retro, but in my mind, it's felt old-school since 2020. As new games get pricier and consoles have fewer marked improvements justifying each generational leap, our notion of retro consoles needs to evolve past the point of "something 15 years old or more". What's so different about my mother's friend's husband gifting my brother his old PS1 back in 2001 and me hoarding my old Nintendos for the kids I don't have yet? Both are examples of video games as precious commodities being passed down to – you guessed it – the next generation. It just so happens that when a console gets discontinued, it only gets more special because of the memories you have attached to it.

Check out the best Switch games to play on your OG console right now in 2026. Who needs new ones, anyway?