SIE’s split here is basically this: for full new games, digital sales increasingly replace physical disc sales , but the exact “split” is about how the game is distributed and sold, not two different versions of the game itself. Sony confirmed that for new PlayStation games, physical disc production will end starting in January 2028, and new releases will be available through PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.

How it works

  • Before the cutoff, a full game can still be sold as a disc and as a digital download code or Store purchase, depending on the release and retailer.
  • After the cutoff, new games will not get physical discs; they’ll be sold digitally, while existing games released before that date are unaffected.
  • Retailers may still sell PlayStation games in boxes, but those boxes would contain a code rather than a disc.

What “full new games” means

For a full game, the important distinction is ownership format :

  • Physical: a disc you can insert and resell or lend, subject to the console’s requirements.
  • Digital: a license tied to your account, downloaded from PlayStation Store or redeemed by code.

Why Sony is doing it

Sony says the move reflects consumer demand shifting away from discs and toward digital delivery. The public messaging is that this aligns production with how people are buying games now.

Practical takeaway

If you’re buying a brand-new PlayStation game after the transition starts, expect digital-only availability rather than a disc release. If you care about resale, lending, or collecting, the physical option becomes limited to games released before that cutoff.

TL;DR

SIE’s “digital versus physical split” for full new games means full-game sales are moving from discs to downloads, and starting January 2028 new PlayStation games won’t get physical disc production at all.