Games are almost always cheaper in shops, says new report, just as Sony announces an end to PlayStation discs and brings retailers' futures into question

Sony has announced it will end manufacturing of physical PlayStation discs beginning January 2028, meaning future releases will only be available in digital formats. This decision has raised concerns about game prices, as a new report from Dutch website Tweakers shows that games are almost always cheaper at retail than on the PlayStation Store. The report, which tracked prices for 16 PS5 games over four years, found that prices drop over time at retail but often remain at full launch prices on the PS Store for years, only dropping during sales. The report also found that first-party PlayStation exclusives are "almost never cheaper than their physical counterparts" and that Sony almost never lowers their initial prices. While retailers will still be able to sell code-in-box games, the decision kills second-hand game sales. The decision has been poorly received, with hundreds of thousands signing a petition asking Sony to revert it, and millions of comments mocking the company on social media.