I asked ChatGPT how to prepare for PlayStation's digital-only future — and its advice was surprisingly practical
Being a gamer right now feels like living in a constant loop of “We’re so back” and “It’s so over.”
One minute, I’m hyped over a massive game announcement or incredible review scores. The next, my timeline is flooded with studio closures, mass layoffs, and hardware price hikes that instantly kill the mood.
The latest gut punch is Sony’s declaration that PlayStation will officially abandon physical game discs starting in January 2028. As a fan who still vividly remembers booting up my original PS1 back in ‘97, this one is a heartbreaker.
I’m not giving up my favorite hobby, but I needed to figure out how to actually prepare for an all-digital console space. I asked ChatGPT to help me strategize my next moves, and its advice ended up being surprisingly practical.
Figuring out the best ways to prepare for a disc-less gaming future
With the survivability of my gaming hobby in mind, I inquired about how to maintain it while prepping myself for PlayStation’s non-physical future with this prompt: “Now that PlayStation has announced its plans to stop selling physical discs for its games starting in January 2028, what options should I consider now if I want to continue my video gaming hobby?”
Right off the bat, ChatGPT advised me to stick with the PlayStation gaming brand and embrace its digital future. The pros it mentioned included still getting access to every Sony exclusive (which will include the PS5’s 1st-party single-player games) and staying in the ecosystem that houses my friends list, trophies & saves.
The cons it mentioned were sticking with the next PlayStation whilst not being able to borrow other people’s games or resell my games since they’ll all be digital, being dependent on PlayStation’s digital storefront * licensing for my purchases and dealing with game pricing that will largely be controlled by Sony (who’s sales don’t measure up as much in comparison to all those amazing Steam sales periods).
I already know I’m going to keep a PlayStation console in my gaming rotation, but I also know that I’ll have other means of hardware to negate the gut punch of PlayStation’s all-digital gaming initiative. Here are the three best options ChatGPT told me to consider to combat that disheartening announcement:
- Build a gaming PC (the option I'd look at hardest): This is probably the strongest long-term investment. Benefits include multiple storefronts instead of one, such as Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, Humble Bundle and the Microsoft Store. There are huge discounts throughout the year, better game preservation, backward compatibility that often spans decades, mods, emulation for older systems (where legally appropriate) and access to Xbox games and many PlayStation games that eventually arrive on PC. Instead of depending on a single company's ecosystem, you'd have far more flexibility.
- Become a collector before 2028: If physical ownership matters to you, buy the PS5 games you truly love before discs disappear and focus on timeless games rather than everything. Imagine owning your favorite complete JRPG collections, retro game compilations and essential PlayStation exclusives. Those libraries aren't suddenly invalidated in 2028. Sony specifically said existing physical releases are unaffected.
- Put more emphasis on Nintendo: Nintendo still strongly supports physical media today. If that continues with future hardware, it could become the last major console ecosystem where collecting physical games remains a core part of the experience. Of course, no company has promised that it will last forever.
Getting into the PC market is an especially expensive endeavor right now, but the many benefits that come with adopting that gaming platform outweigh the high asking price. I’ve been collecting my favorite physical games over the years and am planning to keep my PS5 Pro with the disc drive to continue playing them.
And I’m definitely going to add a Switch 2 to my gaming hardware lineup, so I’ll be able to bask in its strong first-party lineup full of physical cartridges. My Xbox Series X also has a bunch of physical discs attached to it, so I’m covered when it comes to enjoying the big three’s gaming libraries.
Final thoughts
Keeping my PS5 Pro with its disc drive through the end of this current gaming generation, continuing to purchase physical copies of my favorite games on that console, gradually investing in a capable gaming PC and picking up a Switch 2 to enjoy its lineup of exclusives are the best ways to go.
ChatGPT pushed me toward those methods to make sure I maximize my game preservation, lower my software costs over time, get access to a wider range of games and be less dependent on a single company’s policies.
The chatbot’s final statement on the matter summed up my exact sentiments about the situation: Ironically, Sony's announcement may end up pushing many dedicated PlayStation fans toward PC—not because they dislike PlayStation games, but because they want more control over how they buy, keep, and play the games they love.
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