Sony Interactive Entertainment’s next console, the PS6, will not be digital only, according to former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden.
During an interview with Kiwi Talkz, former Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Shawn Layden was asked whether the PS6 will be completely disc-free, given that the PS5 Pro is. In response, he said that he believes the PS6 is unlikely to go 100% digital with the PS6, nor will it abandon the disc format. He explained that while a disc-free future may seem inevitable to some, the company’s global position makes such a move far more complicated.
“I don’t think Sony can get away with it now,” Layden said, responding to a question about whether the PlayStation 6 could be completely digital. While acknowledging that Microsoft has pushed further in that direction, he noted that Xbox’s strongest markets are concentrated in “a clutch of countries – US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa – not coincidentally enough all English-speaking countries.”
In contrast, the former Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO said that PlayStation operates on a much broader scale. “Sony, which is the number one platform in probably 170 countries around the world, has an obligation or responsibility to say, ‘If we go discless, how much of my market is not able to make that jump?’” He pointed to rural regions where reliable high-speed internet remains inconsistent. “Can users in rural Italy get a decent connection to enjoy games?” he asked, highlighting that a fully digital ecosystem assumes a level of connectivity that isn’t universally available.
During internal discussions in the PlayStation 4 era about potentially going discless, Layden said one executive pointed out a significant user segment i.e. professional athletes who travel frequently and bring consoles with them to hotels. “They have so much downtime, and they can’t. They’re not supposed to go out drinking or carousing,” he explained. Without dependable hotel internet, discs remain practical. Similarly, he mentioned that PlayStation consoles are “very popular on military bases around the world,” including in locations where internet access is limited or restricted. In these environments, the ability to play physical copies is essential.
