Publisher says physical releases still matter as Sony weighs feedback ahead of its planned 2028 media shift
NIS America President Kenzo Saruhashi said the publisher plans to keep making physical editions even as Sony is set to stop manufacturing physical media in January 2028, a shift that matters because collector’s editions are an important part of NIS America’s business.
Saruhashi said Sony is hearing customer feedback in discussions with partners, signaling that publishers are still pressing the PlayStation maker over how physical game releases will work after the 2028 cutoff.
Sony has said it will continue supplying retailers with a solution after physical media manufacturing ends, and publishers including NIS America are considering a fallback that could include codes in a box if Sony does not change course.
The debate has become more pointed because NIS America recently moved away from Game Key Cards on Switch 2, a decision the source says reflects customer demand for proper physical releases.
NIS America says it still plans to make physical editions of its games even as Sony moves toward ending physical media manufacturing in January 2028. The comment is one of the clearest signals yet that smaller publishers are still trying to push back on how PlayStation’s physical future will work.
NIS America President Kenzo Saruhashi said the company intends to keep producing physical releases and the collector’s editions its customers expect, while acknowledging that codes in a box could become necessary after Sony’s 2028 cutoff. The remark matters because it captures the core tension in Sony's approach, even as the company appears to be steering the market toward a less traditional boxed model.
Saruhashi said he did not know much more than consumers about Sony’s plans, but described ongoing discussions with the company as still open. In those talks, he said, Sony appears to be absorbing customer reaction. He also left open the possibility that the current path could change, though he did not suggest any reversal is likely.
That nuance is the real story here. Big publishers such as SEGA and Capcom have signaled they are not especially alarmed by the 2028 manufacturing change. NIS America is different. Its business has long leaned on premium boxed releases and elaborate collector’s editions sold through its own storefront, where packaging and extras are part of the pitch. For a company built that way, replacing a disc with a redemption code is not just a distribution tweak. It cuts into the product itself.
The company’s recent decision to move away from Game Key Cards on Switch 2 makes that point sharper. The source says the move reflects demand from customers for proper physical releases. That may sound niche. It is. But niche publishers often have a clearer read on enthusiast willingness to pay than platform owners do.
Sony, for its part, has said retailers will still get some form of solution after that date. Based on the options discussed publicly so far, codes in a box looks like the obvious outcome. From Sony’s perspective, that would preserve shelf space without the costs and logistics of pressing discs. From a publisher’s perspective, especially one selling prestige physical editions, that can feel like a downgrade dressed up as continuity.
There is also an environmental contradiction hanging over this. Shipping empty plastic boxes with printed inserts and a download code would arguably satisfy retail distribution while undercutting the logic of reducing physical media in the first place. If Sony is making this move partly in the name of efficiency and climate commitments, a boxed-code model would invite scrutiny. Consumers notice that kind of thing quickly, and collector-focused publishers have reason to keep raising it.
For a US audience, the stakes are broader than one publisher’s release strategy. Specialty physical game sales have increasingly become a direct-to-consumer business, with companies using online stores to sell limited editions, soundtrack bundles and art books at higher margins than standard retail software. In that market, the disc or cartridge is not incidental. It is proof of ownership, part of the collectible object and, for some buyers, a hedge against delisting risk. That helps explain why resistance to boxed download codes keeps resurfacing even as digital sales dominate the mainstream business.
The timing also fits a wider trend in console gaming. Platform holders have spent years training consumers toward all-digital libraries through digital-only hardware, subscription services and storefront promotion. Yet they have never fully solved the trust problem around permanence, resale and preservation. That gap usually does not matter for annual sports titles or big live-service games. It matters more for Japanese role-playing games, niche adventure titles and collector-heavy releases where fans want a durable object and publishers can still charge a premium for one.
Reports that Sony recently surveyed development partners add another clue that this is not a closed file internally. A partner survey does not mean the strategy is changing. It does suggest Sony knows there is real friction among the companies that still care most about physical product economics. That group may be small compared with the largest publishers, but it can still carry influence in enthusiast communities and specialty retail channels.
The background
Sony’s move has landed differently across the industry because the economics are different. Large publishers can absorb format shifts more easily because digital storefronts already dominate unit sales for many of their biggest franchises. Companies like NIS America operate closer to the edge of fandom, where a boxed collector’s edition can do more than a standard launch ever could. In practical terms, that means Sony’s physical-media sunset is not just a manufacturing story. It is a margin story, a merchandising story and, for some partners, a brand story.
There is a second layer here that bigger companies may not feel as acutely. Publishers that sell direct through their own stores own the customer relationship in a way they do not at mass retail. Physical bundles help them do that. If the end state becomes a premium outer box with a code instead of software on media, some fans will still buy. Some will not. The risk is not simply lower demand, but a weaker reason for that customer to keep coming back for the next special edition.
What's next
The concrete marker is January 2028. Between now and then, the key question is whether Sony formalizes a post-disc retail program that looks more flexible than a simple boxed download code, or whether partner feedback turns out to be just that, feedback with no policy shift attached. Saruhashi’s comments suggest publishers are still making the case, even if they are already planning for a less favorable outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sony still making PS5 disc games after the 2028 physical media change?
Sony is set to stop manufacturing physical media in January 2028, but publishers like NIS America say they still want to offer physical editions. That means the future of PS5 disc games may depend on how Sony responds to publisher and customer demand.
What did NIS America say about Sony and the PS5 disc debate?
NIS America President Kenzo Saruhashi said Sony is hearing a lot of customer feedback during talks with partners. His comments suggest publishers are actively pushing the case for physical releases instead of simply accepting a digital-only transition.
Why are physical editions so important to NIS America?
Physical releases matter because collector's editions are a major part of NIS America's business. For publishers that sell premium boxed sets, art books, and bundled extras, discs are tied to both revenue and brand identity.
Does this mean Sony could reconsider parts of its physical media strategy?
Saruhashi's remarks do not confirm a policy reversal, but they do show Sony is listening to concerns from partners and customers. That leaves open the possibility of adjustments if demand for discs and collector-focused products remains strong.
How could Sony ending physical media manufacturing affect PlayStation players in the US?
US players who prefer buying discs, lending games, or collecting boxed editions could see fewer physical options over time. The shift could also affect resale, long-term ownership, and access for players with limited internet bandwidth.
What is the bigger issue behind the PS5 disc debate?
The debate is about more than format preference because it touches game ownership, preservation, and consumer choice. Publishers and players are weighing the convenience of digital distribution against the lasting appeal of physical copies and collector editions.
