The shift away from physical video games continues to stir debate. Just over a month ago, Rockstar Games opened pre-orders for GTA 6 without offering a single playable disc. Consequently, this digital-only approach has renewed discussions about the death of physical media. Recently, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser addressed the controversy directly during the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con.
What Dan Houser & Lazlow Jones Think
Houser spoke about the declining physical market in a recent IGN interview. He firmly believes that publishers should provide physical game editions as long as consumers actually want them. However, the industry veteran admitted he no longer feels a strong personal attachment to maintaining physical releases.
Instead, Houser highlighted the distinct advantages of digital distribution. He called the ability to easily patch games after launch “critical”, even though physical editions can also receive these updates. Furthermore, he claimed that consumers generally love digital releases.
Former Rockstar producer Lazlow Jones also joined the interview. Jones expressed a much stronger connection to physical media. He highlighted the familiar, nostalgic feeling of inserting a newly bought disc into a console. Even so, he acknowledged the sheer convenience of downloading digital titles while traveling.
Rockstar Embraces the Digital Era with GTA 6
This industry conversation arrives at a pivotal time for Rockstar. On June 25, the studio officially launched pre-orders for GTA 6. Buyers currently have zero disc options to choose from.
The $99.99 Ultimate Edition remains strictly digital. Meanwhile, the Standard Edition offers a physical box, but it only contains a download code inside. Rockstar has not yet clarified if a true disc version will arrive after the game eventually launches. As it stands, GTA 6 could become the series’ first mainline entry to skip a physical console release entirely. Notably, this is also the first mainline installment released since both Houser and Jones departed the company in 2020.
Sony’s 2028 Physical Phase-Out
The aggressive push toward digital distribution extends far beyond Rockstar. Recently, Sony announced it will completely stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. Consequently, this cutoff leaves GTA 6 with a very narrow window to secure a physical PlayStation release.
Sony will not abandon physical media overnight. The company will continue to fulfill publisher orders for older PS4 and PS5 games that already possess physical editions. Moving forward, Sony plans to redirect its newly freed-up disc manufacturing capacity toward optical microlens production.
Unsurprisingly, this major policy change has sparked vocal consumer criticism. As of late July 2026, that frustration has not faded, leaving the future of physical game collecting highly uncertain.
