NIS America boss Kenzo Saruhashi has told Kotaku that Sony is hearing a lot of the feedback from customers regarding its plan to stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028, adding that the discussion may still change, as reported by Push Square.
Here’s the context: Sony’s plan, first confirmed earlier this year, ends production of physical discs for new PlayStation titles from January 2028 onward, a cutoff prompting discussion among publishers about physical releases. NIS America is a natural flashpoint for that debate because its business leans heavily on elaborate collector’s editions sold through its own storefront, not mass retail. The publisher recently moved away from Game Key Cards on Switch 2, a decision that reflected customer demand for genuine physical releases rather than download-triggering cartridges. By contrast, Push Square notes that publishers like Capcom and SEGA have signaled far less concern about the change, underlining that this issue lands unevenly across the industry.
Honestly, Saruhashi’s comments read as measured optimism rather than a signal that Sony is preparing to soften its stance. He said his company intends to keep making physical editions and delivering the quality customers expect first and foremost, while conceding that codes-in-a-box could be the eventual outcome once the cutoff hits. Push Square’s own take is skeptical that Sony’s plans will meaningfully shift, but the outlet argues a workable solution matters for partners like NIS America precisely because of how their businesses are built. There’s also a fair environmental question buried in here: if boutique publishers end up shipping premium packaging around nothing but a download code, that’s a lot of plastic for very little function, though that’s editorial concern rather than anything Sony or NIS America has stated outright. Readers can weigh that alongside what Sony’s production wind-down actually means for partners and the retail-side criticism building around the UK physical market.
The clearest moving parts right now:
- January 2028 – Sony’s planned end date for manufacturing physical discs tied to new PlayStation games.
- NIS America’s stated direction – continue producing physical editions where feasible, per Saruhashi’s comments to Kotaku.
- Codes-in-a-box – acknowledged by Saruhashi as a possible fallback, not confirmed as the final arrangement.
- Reported developer survey – separate reporting has described an unusually large Sony survey touching on physical-sales concerns among development partners, though its scope and results remain unconfirmed.
What remains unclear is whether Sony intends to offer publishers like NIS America anything beyond codes-in-a-box once the cutoff arrives. Saruhashi himself was candid that he doesn’t know much more than the average consumer at this stage. The existence of a broader developer survey adds another layer of uncertainty rather than clarity, since neither its scope nor any resulting action has been confirmed. Nothing here amounts to a documented reversal, delay, or formal accommodation from Sony.
What to watch: the next real signal will be any detailed Sony program spelling out what publishers and retailers can actually offer after January 2028, rather than general reassurances about hearing feedback. It’s also worth watching whether the reported developer survey produces any documented policy shift, and whether NIS America itself announces concrete plans for its post-2028 releases.
Would a premium collector’s edition still feel worth buying if the disc inside is replaced by a download code, and should Sony carve out some kind of accommodation for boutique publishers like NIS America? The January 2028 deadline hasn’t moved, so whatever Sony eventually offers partners is the detail worth watching next.
