Ubisoft CEO says Sony's PlayStation disc shutdown will not disturb the industry too much

Q: How would removing disc drives potentially affect PlayStation hardware cost and accessibility according to the article?

The article says removing disc drives could lower console hardware costs and make PlayStation machines more accessible, with Ubisoft noting that being digital-only "will help to have a more accessible machine." It also states the implication that going all-digital could follow PC trends and potentially reduce the price of hardware by eliminating the disc drive, while acknowledging there are "pluses and minuses."

Q: What consumer protections does the article say gamers lose if PlayStation discontinues physical discs?

The article says console players would lose the used game market, game preservation options, and the ability to resell their purchases. It also notes there would be no alternative fallback if a title disappears from the PlayStation Store or becomes inaccessible digitally.

Q: What caveats did the article note about game preservation and storefront availability for all-digital consoles?

The article noted that the PC comparison has limits because PC is not a walled garden: players can buy from multiple storefronts (Steam, GOG, Epic, etc.) and can back up and preserve games on their own hardware. By contrast, an all-digital PlayStation would eliminate the used game market, reduce game preservation options, and remove the ability to resell purchases; if a title disappears from the PlayStation Store or becomes inaccessible digitally, there would be no second storefront or physical copy to fall back on.

CEO Yves Guillemot pointed to PC gaming's growth under Steam as evidence that going all-digital doesn't hurt, though the comparison has obvious limits.

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Hassam Nasir

Tech Reporter

Published Jul 24, 2026 10:20 PM CDT

1 minute & 30 seconds read time

TL;DR: Ubisoft CEO says Sony ending PlayStation disc production in 2028 likely won't majorly harm the industry, citing PC growth after Steam's rise and potential cost savings from disc-free consoles, while noting limits to the PC comparison and that digital sales yield higher publisher margins.

Voice: Hassam NasirSpeed

0:00 / 3:04

Sony's decision to stop producing new PlayStation discs from January 2028 has drawn widespread criticism across the gaming industry. Ubisoft, however, does not appear to share those concerns.

Speaking during the company's Q1 2026 earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and CFO Frédérick Duguet both suggested the move would not meaningfully hurt the industry, with Guillemot pointing to the growth of PC gaming as his primary evidence.

"What we saw on the PC is that it helped to grow the market," Guillemot said when asked by an analyst whether the disc shutdown could create a demand headwind by eliminating the used game market. "There's also some pressure for the future on the cost of machines, and being able to be only digital will help to have a more accessible machine, I would say. There are pluses and minuses, but we think it will not disturb the industry too much."

Read more: PlayStation ending physical game discs in 2028, Sony officially confirms
Read more: PlayStation disc phaseout petition hits 120,000 signatures in just four days
Read more: This PC gamer turned old SSDs into custom Steam game cartridges with printed cover art and cases

Ubisoft CEO says Sony's PlayStation disc shutdown will not disturb the industry too much 2

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The argument is that Steam's dominance on PC, which effectively killed the physical PC game market years ago, coincided with PC gaming growing significantly rather than contracting. The implication is that PlayStation going all-digital could follow a similar trajectory, potentially lowering console hardware costs by removing the disc drive.

That comparison, however, comes with important caveats. The PC parallel has obvious limits. Unlike PlayStation, PC is not a walled garden. Players can buy games through Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, Humble, or directly from developers, while also retaining the ability to back up and preserve games on their own hardware.

By contrast, console players losing physical discs also lose the used game market, game preservation options, and the ability to resell their purchases, with no equivalent alternative available. If a title disappears from the PlayStation Store or becomes inaccessible digitally, there is no second storefront or physical copy to fall back on.

Ubisoft CEO says Sony's PlayStation disc shutdown will not disturb the industry too much 3

Ubisoft's stance also makes sense from a financial perspective. Digital sales generate higher margins for publishers by eliminating retail distribution costs. Sony also benefits, as every digital purchase goes through the PlayStation Store, allowing it to capture a larger share of each sale.

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Question #1

How would removing disc drives potentially affect PlayStation hardware cost and accessibility according to the article?

Question #2

What consumer protections does the article say gamers lose if PlayStation discontinues physical discs?

Question #3

What caveats did the article note about game preservation and storefront availability for all-digital consoles?

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That being said, Ubisoft itself is in the middle of a significant restructuring, with net bookings down roughly 9% year-over-year this quarter due to a tough comparison against last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows launch period. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has been a bright spot, having sold over 3.5 million copies and beating annual projections within its first two weeks.