There are many, many downsides to Sony ending physical disc production in 2028. However, one small silver lining, according to a former higher-up at Square Enix, is that games will get cheaper.
On Twitter, Jacob Navok, director of business development at Square Enix from 2010 to 2015, commented on the nature of video game pricing. "Competition between publishers is what drives pricing pressure, not competition between digital stores," he says. "This is because publishers set pricing on digital stores."
The likes of Epic Games Store and Steam having to compete makes life better for developers, because their cuts improve - hypothetically, at least - and on digital storefronts, the basement continually lowers for many releases. "You can see how the floor moves downward," he says, showing a chart of Final Fantasy 16's pricing on Valve's platform as an example. "It moves downward because as the title competes with other titles, it gains a natural downward pressure."
His stance, then, is that Sony going fully digital through the PS Store adds another layer, because it'll force publishers to be more wary of their libraries and each other. "The more the PlayStation Store becomes digital only, the greater this trend will accelerate," Navok observes. "You will see more sales and dynamic pricing similar to Steam because publishers will compete among themselves to a greater extent."
Even before considering how publishers have more control over the end price for digital goods over physical, the mere fact that manufacturing and shipping costs won't be involved means we should see cheaper games. Throw on top of that the direct competition, and you have a climate where releases will likely become easier to afford, especially during sales, when more companies will vie for your attention and money.
But that doesn't change the erosion of consumer rights due to the precarities of digital ownership, nor does it negate the lack of a physical option for people who want one. Sure, Final Fantasy 16 might reach new lows price-wise quicker, but fans looking for a disc version are being cut off. It's give-and-take, and whether this is ultimately good for PlayStation users is a matter of perspective.
