---
title: "Sony plans to end disc-based games in 2028, and your PS5 library stays playable"
description: "No new game released in 2028 or later will get a physical copy, so here is what still works on your PS5 and why lawsuits over store pricing are part of…"
url: https://tech.skoop.news/what-discs-can-a-playstation-5-play-d51863/
published: 2026-11-07T19:29:35.246337-05:00
modified: 2026-11-07T19:29:35.246337-05:00
section: "Tech & Apps"
publisher: "skoop.news"
language: en
keywords: ["PS5", "PlayStation Store", "Digital Edition", "Milberg Amsterdam", "PS5 Pro", "Northern District of California", "Stichting Massaschade & Consument", "PS4", "Dutch", "PS3"]
hashtags: ["#PlayStationStore", "#DigitalEdition", "#MilbergAmsterdam", "#tech", "#ai"]
image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Smartphone_display_screen.jpg/1280px-Smartphone_display_screen.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail
---

# Sony plans to end disc-based games in 2028, and your PS5 library stays playable

> No new game released in 2028 or later will get a physical copy, so here is what still works on your PS5 and why lawsuits over store pricing are part of the story.

Published 2026-11-07 · Tech & Apps, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/)

## In brief

- Sony plans to stop making disc-based games in 2028, which affects anyone who buys PlayStation games on disc.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)
- The detachable PS5 disc drive costs $79.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)
- The PS5 will not play physical PS1, PS2 or PS3 games.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

## What Sony plans for 2028

Sony plans to stop making disc-based games in 2028, which affects anyone who buys PlayStation games on disc.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) No new games released in 2028 and beyond will get physical copies.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

Discs you already own keep working. Existing discs will continue to work on PS5 after the disc phase-out.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) All PS5 game discs will continue to work on the console, as will old PS4 physical games.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

## Disc drives and backward compatibility

The detachable PS5 disc drive costs $79.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) It is available for the Slim digital PS5 and PS5 Pro.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) It is not compatible with the original Digital Edition model.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

The PS5 is backward compatible with most PS4 titles, whether on disc or digital.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Game Boost delivers smoother frame rates for certain PS5 games, including God of War, The Last of Us Part II and Days Gone.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Many patched PS4 titles were upped to 60 fps on PS5, an improvement over how they ran on a standard PS4.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

There are gaps. According to Sony's PS5 backward compatibility page, a total of six PS4 games are not playable on PS5.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Hitman Go: Definitive Edition is among them.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Sony notes that other PS4 releases such as demos and media apps might not be compatible with PS5.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

## What older discs and media do on PS5

The PS5 will not play physical PS1, PS2 or PS3 games.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Many legendary titles from older generations are available to play digitally from the PlayStation Store.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Games such as LittleBigPlanet and Shadow Hearts: Covenant remain abandoned on their original consoles.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

For video, the PS5 supports Ultra HD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray and DVD discs.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) 3D Blu-ray discs do not work on PS5.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Home-burned video discs may work if properly finalized, but there are no guarantees.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Raw video files cannot be dropped onto a disc and played on PS5.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

The PS5 cannot play audio CDs, unlike the PS3.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Apple Music and Spotify offer apps for the PS5 for listening to music while playing.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) A USB drive with video or audio files, following Sony's instructions for folder naming and file types, is a suggested workaround for playing such files.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

Sony asserts that non-circular discs shaped like a card, star or heart will be rejected by the PS5.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) Small GameCube discs should not be inserted into the PS5.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

## How we got here: digital codes and the 30 percent cut

Sony Interactive Entertainment pulled digital download codes from retail stores in April 2019.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) Critics argue PlayStation forces players to buy games exclusively from the PlayStation Store, which lets Sony take a 30-percent cut of sales.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

Lawsuits over PlayStation's store practices are international, spanning the United Kingdom, Portugal, the Netherlands, Mexico and the United States.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

## The US case

PlayStation user Agustin Caccuri filed a class action lawsuit on May 5, 2021 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) Lawyers claimed the average price of a digital code for a PlayStation Store game was 74 percent higher than physical discs at retailers.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

Lawyers in the Caccuri complaint said Sony made approximately $17 billion in revenue from digital PlayStation game sales in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) They estimated overcharges from Sony's alleged monopoly could be around $7 billion per year.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

Several similar lawsuits were consolidated under the Caccuri case in October 2023.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) Sony said in its motion to dismiss that it is not doing anything wrong.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) Sony settled the Caccuri case in April and will pay $7,850,000 to anyone who purchased digital games through the PlayStation Store in the covered period.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

## The UK and Dutch cases

UK-based Milberg London and a consumer rights group represented by Alex Neill filed a $7.9 billion lawsuit with the Competition Appeal Tribunal.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) The suit argues Sony is ripping people off through the 30-percent commission it takes on all PlayStation Store sales.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) The trial ended in May and the tribunal is reviewing the case, with a decision expected within the year.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

Milberg Amsterdam announced in February 2025 that it was filing a complaint on behalf of Dutch consumer group Stichting Massaschade & Consument.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) The Dutch case will be tried under Dutch law and is effectively the same as the UK lawsuit.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) Milberg Amsterdam is asking for roughly $500 million for consumers.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

Milberg says the case concerns Sony's abuse of its dominant position, which translates into an unreasonably high 30% charge on PlayStation Store transactions.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) A Milberg representative expects the Dutch foundation to be declared admissible, with the case moving to the merits phase in 2027.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

## What the legal and market voices say

Legal scholar René Otto said physical games historically acted as an indirect competitive constraint for consumers.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) He said competition law does not prohibit companies from being successful or dominant; the legal question is whether Sony is abusing a dominant market position.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) Otto said Sony's likely argument is that the relevant market is video games generally, while the lawsuits argue the relevant market is within Sony's own ecosystem.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

Consumer advocacy group representative Lucia Melcherts said the end of physical discs removes the last place where a PlayStation game could still be bought and sold at a competitive price.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) A Milberg representative said the secondhand game market is estimated at some $7.2 billion globally.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) The same representative said PlayStation still sold an estimated 70 million physical discs in 2025.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

## What this means for you

If you own PS5 discs, they keep working after the phase-out.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) If you own old PS4 physical games, they also keep working.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

If you want a disc drive for a Slim digital PS5 or a PS5 Pro, the detachable drive costs $79.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) If you have the original Digital Edition, the detachable drive is not compatible.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

If you want to play PS1, PS2 or PS3 games, the PS5 will not play the physical versions, though many older titles are available digitally from the PlayStation Store.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) If you want to check a PS4 game, Sony's PS5 backward compatibility page lists six PS4 games that are not playable.  [[1]](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/)

If you bought digital games through the PlayStation Store, the Caccuri settlement will pay $7,850,000 to anyone who did so in the covered period.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) The UK tribunal's decision is expected within the year.  [[2]](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141)

## Sources

1. [What Discs Can A PlayStation 5 Play?](https://www.engadget.com/2306942/playstation-5-playable-discs-explained/) — Engadget
2. [PlayStation Is Being Sued In 5 Different Countries Over Anti-Competitive Concerns And The End Of Discs Isn’t Helping](https://kotaku.com/playstation-is-being-sued-in-five-different-countries-over-anti-competitive-concerns-and-the-end-of-discs-isnt-helping-2000722141) — Kotaku

Image: Photo (illustrative): Skitterphoto / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smartphone_display_screen.jpg)

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