{"id":773962,"date":"2026-07-02T09:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/773962\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T09:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:24:15","slug":"physical-discs-are-dead-and-grand-theft-auto-6-killed-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/773962\/","title":{"rendered":"Physical Discs Are Dead, And ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ Killed Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Eleni<\/a><\/p>\n

Readtime: 10 min<\/p>\n

Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more.<\/a> For more information on how we test products, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Rockstar Games announced Grand Theft Auto 6 will ship without a physical disc. PlayStation announced that it will soon stop making physical discs altogether for new games. This shift in gaming impacts everyone negatively, from gaming fans to retailers. Physical games are not just for collecting. They\u2019re memories.<\/p>\n

Rockstar Games announced earlier this week that Grand Theft Auto 6<\/a> would ship without a physical disc. Reports have emerged via The Verge<\/a> that Microsoft<\/a> is soon testing a feature that will help Xbox<\/a> users digitise versions of their physical games. And, the biggest nail in the coffin? PlayStation<\/a> announced that, in 2028, they will stop making physical discs for new games entirely<\/a> (PlayStation has confirmed to Man of Many that this applies to Australia).<\/p>\n

For years, midnight launches weren\u2019t just about playing a game as early as possible. They were events. They were the culmination of years of anticipation, when the most dedicated fans lined up outside their local game store, counting down the minutes until the doors opened. Collector\u2019s editions sat stacked behind the counter, and inside every plastic-wrapped box was the thing that mattered most: the game itself.<\/p>\n

You\u2019d tear off the seal, hear that satisfying click as the disc came loose from its case, slide it into your console, and minutes later you\u2019d be exploring a brand-new world. That ritual has been fading away for years, but this week, it feels like it has officially becomes history.<\/p>\n

Digital gaming has been taking over for years. I know that. Most of us know that. But seeing arguably the industry all but abandon physical media altogether feels different. It\u2019s Sony<\/a>, Microsoft and Rockstar Games<\/a> telling us exactly where it thinks the future of gaming is headed.<\/p>\n

The Writing Has Been on the Wall For Years For Physical Discs <\/p>\n

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Rockstar Games finally gave fans what they\u2019d been waiting for: new screenshots, fresh details<\/a>, and confirmation that pre-orders<\/a> are live for Grand Theft Auto 6. But the excitement quickly turned into frustration after reports emerged that physical copies of the game wouldn\u2019t actually contain a disc, instead shipping with nothing more than a download code.<\/p>\n

Further Reading <\/p>\n

The controversy began after retailer listings suggested that some boxed versions of GTA 6 would include only a digital download code rather than a physical disc. Buyers would still receive a case and, depending on the edition, physical collectibles, but the game itself would need to be downloaded.<\/p>\n

Then, The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> seemingly confirmed everyone\u2019s fears.<\/p>\n

According to the publication, \u201ca source with knowledge of the plans\u201d claimed Rockstar has no intention of producing GTA 6 discs. Not at launch, and not later down the line either.<\/p>\n

For some people, that barely registered as news. Digital downloads have been the default for years. PlayStation and Xbox have long normalised pre-loading massive releases days before launch, internet speeds have improved dramatically, and plenty of players haven\u2019t inserted a disc into their console in years.<\/p>\n

Others, however, saw it very differently.<\/p>\n

Across , social media<\/a> and gaming forums, criticism arrived almost immediately. Many questioned why anyone should pay full retail price for what is essentially a cardboard box containing a voucher. Others argued that calling something \u201cphysical\u201d feels misleading when the only physical component is the packaging.<\/p>\n

Couple that with the latest revelations from PlayStation specifically, and concerns have gone into overdrive, going far beyond nostalgia. Gaming preservation advocates have warned for years that digital-only releases leave games at the mercy of storefronts, licensing agreements and servers that won\u2019t exist forever. When physical copies disappear, so does an important layer of ownership.<\/p>\n

Rockstar, for example, hasn\u2019t exactly hidden where it\u2019s been heading, either. The company has spent years investing heavily in digital ecosystems through GTA Online, live-service support and online storefronts. GTA 6 simply feels like the logical next step.<\/p>\n

From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense. Digital sales eliminate manufacturing costs, remove logistics, cut out the second-hand market and give publishers greater control over pricing. For players, though, convenience has never been the only thing that matters.<\/p>\n

\"GtaImage: Unsplash Australia Embraced Digital Gaming Over Physical Discs During COVID\u00a0 <\/p>\n

If I\u2019m being honest, I wasn\u2019t always someone who preferred buying games digitally. In fact, I actively avoided it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d happily drive to my local EB Games, pick up a physical copy and add it to the ever-growing collection on my shelf. If there was a choice between a download and a disc, I\u2019d choose the disc every single time.<\/p>\n

Then COVID happened.<\/p>\n

Living in Melbourne during the lockdowns meant game stores, along with almost everything else, were closed for months. Even when restrictions eased, visiting a retailer wasn\u2019t always straightforward, and suddenly digital downloads weren\u2019t just the convenient option. They were the only realistic option. <\/p>\n

For the first time, I found myself buying almost every new release through the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store. It became second nature. Looking back, I think that\u2019s the experience many Australians had. After all, gaming absolutely boomed in Australia<\/a> during COVID. I distinctly remember friends I knew had never bought a console before calling me up to ask for gaming advice and boy was I happy to offer up my expertise.<\/p>\n

The pandemic accelerated a trend that was already happening worldwide. With people spending more time at home, console usage surged, digital storefronts became the easiest way to access new releases, and publishers leaned harder than ever into downloadable sales. Once people got used to pressing \u201cBuy\u201d from their couch instead of driving to a store, many never went back.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t either. These days, most of the games I buy are digital. Not because I think it\u2019s better, but because it\u2019s easier. And that\u2019s exactly why all this feels so significant. This isn\u2019t consumers deciding they no longer want physical games. It\u2019s publishers deciding we no longer need the choice.<\/p>\n

\"GtaImage: Unsplash Physical Games Are More Than Collectibles, They\u2019re Memories <\/p>\n

For me, game collections have never been about showing off. They\u2019re memory boxes. Every case tells a story. The RPG that stole 120 hours of my life. The multiplayer game that defined an entire summer. The collector\u2019s edition I picked up at midnight surrounded by hundreds of equally excited strangers. Scrolling through a digital library has never given me that same feeling.<\/p>\n

When I look through my shelves, I see dozens of Nintendo DS games, PlayStation 2 classics and even a handful of battered Nintendo 64 cartridges tucked away in the back. With every new console generation, though, that collection gets a little smaller. Gaming has quietly become less tangible. I recently unsubscribed from Xbox Game Pass and then opened my library. It was almost empty. All those games I\u2019d downloaded, played and eventually uninstalled were simply\u2026 gone. As though I\u2019d never spent dozens of hours with them in the first place.<\/p>\n

I understand that\u2019s how subscription services work. But I was surprised by how much it bothered me. Meanwhile, every time I visit my parents\u2019 house and pick up an old PlayStation 2 game, the memories come flooding back instantly. <\/p>\n

Among those cases is every GTA game, from Vice City all the way to GTA V. Knowing GTA 6 might never sit beside them just feels\u2026 wrong. And knowing others won\u2019t be able to build those collections with new PlayStation games is worse. Game discs aren\u2019t just pieces of plastic that get scratched and lost. They\u2019re little pieces of gaming history.<\/p>\n

\"GtaImage: Unsplash Retailers Could Become Unexpected Casualties Without Physical Gaming Discs <\/p>\n

One of the biggest consequences of digital-only releases isn\u2019t what it means for players. It\u2019s what it means for game retailers.<\/p>\n

Independent stores and even larger chains have relied on blockbuster launches like Grand Theft Auto for decades. Huge releases create excitement, bring people through the doors, and often lead to extra purchases, whether that\u2019s a controller, a headset, or another game sitting on the shelf. If customers can buy the exact same digital download directly from their console, retailers lose much of what made them relevant in the first place. Some stores have reportedly questioned whether they\u2019ll even stock download-code-only products, arguing that consumers are unlikely to pay retail prices for something they could purchase digitally within seconds at home.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to disagree.<\/p>\n

Retail stores traditionally offered value through physical ownership, knowledgeable staff, trade-ins and the excitement of launch day. Remove the disc, and suddenly most of those advantages disappear. The second-hand market becomes another casualty. That might benefit publishers, but it certainly doesn\u2019t benefit players.<\/p>\n

Physical games can be traded, lent to friends or sold once you\u2019ve finished them. Digital purchases can\u2019t. Growing up, my friends and I used to split new releases between us. If three big games launched around the same time, we\u2019d each buy a different one, finish it, then swap. It saved us money, but more importantly, it made gaming feel shared. That\u2019s something digital libraries simply can\u2019t replicate.<\/p>\n

\"Gta6Image: Rockstar Games We\u2019re Watching Ownership Disappear Before Our Eyes <\/p>\n

This conversation extends far beyond GTA 6, PlayStation, Xbox and gaming itself. Physical PC games have already all but vanished. Music moved from CDs to Spotify. Movies shifted from DVDs and Blu-ray to streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.<\/p>\n

Gaming is reaching that same crossroads. The convenience of digital purchases is undeniable. Games install automatically, updates happen in the background and switching between titles takes seconds instead of swapping discs. But every time another physical release disappears, something else quietly disappears with it. Ownership.<\/p>\n

When I buy a disc, I own something tangible. I can display it, lend it to a friend, revisit it years later or rediscover it buried in a cupboard decades from now. A digital purchase doesn\u2019t feel quite the same. It\u2019s a licence. And we\u2019ve already seen what happens when digital storefronts close, games are delisted, or licences expire. Entire libraries can disappear overnight.<\/p>\n

Physical media has always been the safety net against that. Maybe digital-only games are inevitable. Maybe this is simply where the industry was always heading. But I don\u2019t think discs should disappear entirely. Not because they\u2019re the most convenient option anymore. Because players deserve the choice.<\/p>\n

And if GTA 6 really is the biggest game ever made, it deserves to exist on more than just a server. If PlayStation and Xbox want to be a part of memory making, they should continue to ensure we have something we can hold with our two hands. Maybe digital-only games are inevitable. Maybe this is simply where the industry was always heading. But I think physical games exist should still exist. We deserve the choice.<\/p>\n

Related reads<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Readtime: 10 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":773963,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,63,241226,2577,9478,9482,105,7476],"class_list":["post-773962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-gta","tag-microsoft","tag-playstation","tag-sony","tag-technology","tag-xbox"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=773962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/773962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/773963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=773962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=773962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=773962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}