The future of video games: Pay extra and own nothing

Published July 18, 2026 6:15am ET



The video game industry hates you, which is why the near future will require you to constantly pay extra to enjoy video games that you will never be allowed to own.

Sony, the maker of PlayStation, announced that it will be ceasing the production of physical game discs by 2028. All PlayStation games going forward will be digital-only. When you go to the store to buy a PlayStation game, you won’t be given a physical copy of the game, but a digital code. Or, of course, you can just buy the digital copy of the game online at the PlayStation Store.

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