PS6 Disc Plans Could Still Change, Says NIS CEO

Sony’s planned move away from new PlayStation game discs may not be completely settled. Kenzo Saruhashi, president of Nippon Ichi Software and chief executive of NIS America, says Sony is hearing feedback from customers and publishers while discussions around the 2028 policy continue.

That does not amount to a PS6 disc-drive confirmation, or even an official reversal. Sony’s published position still says physical disc production for all new games on PlayStation consoles will stop in January 2028. The new comments matter because they suggest the commercial consequences are still being discussed inside the publishing ecosystem as Sony’s next-generation hardware strategy takes shape.

What the NIS CEO Actually Said

Speaking to GamesRadar after comments made at PAX West, Saruhashi said NIS’s discussions with Sony indicate that the company is aware of customer feedback. He also left open the possibility that the eventual outcome could change, rather than presenting the January 2028 policy as an immovable final position.

Saruhashi’s position carries weight because physical editions are central to NIS America’s business. The publisher regularly releases collector and limited editions for series such as Disgaea, Ys and Trails, where packaging and physical ownership are part of the product rather than an afterthought.

NIS America also says it intends to continue making physical limited editions where it can. That does not guarantee that Sony will manufacture discs for those releases, but it shows why the policy creates a direct problem for third-party publishers with audiences that buy premium boxed editions.

Sony’s Official 2028 Position Has Not Changed

Sony’s official PlayStation Blog announcement remains the clearest source. It says production of physical game discs for new PlayStation titles will be discontinued from January 2028, with new releases sold digitally through the PlayStation Store and at retailers. Games released before that date are not affected by the announcement.

Sony has not publicly confirmed that the policy has been withdrawn, delayed or changed into a survey period. Reports of a large developer questionnaire have circulated through industry and insider coverage, but those claims are not independently confirmed by Sony. They should be treated as a reported signal, not as evidence that a new policy has already been approved.

That distinction is especially important for PS6 coverage. A company can listen to feedback, test alternatives and negotiate with publishers without changing the final hardware or distribution plan.

What This Could Mean for PS6

The timing keeps physical media tied to the PS6 conversation. If Sony’s 2028 software policy remains in place, a digital-first PlayStation 6 would be easier to explain: the standard machine could avoid the cost and space required for an optical drive, while Sony retains more control over distribution and pricing.

That is an inference, not a confirmed PS6 specification. Sony has not announced the console, its release date, its retail models or whether any future system will accept PS5 and PS4 discs. PS6News’ backward-compatibility guide explains why disc authentication and library access would need separate answers.

The alternative is a more flexible strategy: a digital-only base console with a detachable drive, a premium physical-media model, or a limited arrangement for selected publishers. None of those options has been announced, but the NIS comments show why the decision affects more than manufacturing costs.

The Ownership Question Is Bigger Than the Drive

For players, the issue is not simply whether a PS6 has a slot for a disc. Physical games support lending, resale, collecting and access to older releases when digital storefront listings change. A replacement format could preserve some of that value, but only if Sony explains how authentication, ownership transfers and future compatibility would work.

Microsoft is facing a related decision with Project Helix. Xbox has officially promised support for four generations of Xbox games, while a separate reported Insider survey asked how important physical-disc installation is to players. PS6News’ Project Helix disc-drive report covers that evidence without treating the survey as a final product specification.

The strategic difference is becoming clearer: Sony has published a timetable for ending new physical releases, while Xbox is still publicly testing how much physical support its next platform should retain. Until Sony gives a further statement, the safest conclusion is that the 2028 plan remains official but its long-term consequences are still being contested.

What to Watch Next

The next meaningful update would need to come from Sony, an authorised publisher announcement or a clearly documented policy change. A new statement about physical manufacturing, code-in-box editions, detachable drives or PS6 backward compatibility would be more significant than another anonymous specification claim.

For now, the NIS CEO’s comments add pressure to a policy that has already become one of the defining questions around the next PlayStation generation. They do not prove a reversal, but they do show that publishers with strong physical businesses are still making their case before Sony’s planned 2028 transition.

Sony’s original physical-disc announcement remains the baseline, while the latest GamesRadar report provides the new publisher-side evidence.