Take-Two CEO Backs Sony’s Push Away From Physical Games

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games, is not worried about Sony’s move away from physical games. Speaking on Take-Two’s earnings call on August 7, 2026, CEO Strauss Zelnick said that “discs just, and note I said discs, don’t really make sense for the consumer,” adding, “It’s much more convenient,” and “Sony understands that.”

What Sony announced

Zelnick was responding to Sony’s July 1, 2026 announcement that physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles will end in January 2028. Games released before that date can still come out on disc, existing disc games remain playable, and disc drives keep working for backwards compatibility. After the cutoff, new games will be sold on the PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only, with Sony saying it will keep supporting retailers by selling download codes in cases.

Sony framed the decision as a response to shifting consumer preference, saying demand for digital games now significantly outpaces demand for physical discs.

GTA 6 is already digital-only

GTA 6 is moving ahead of that deadline. The game launches on November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it will not include a disc: boxed retail copies contain a download code instead. Once redeemed, that code cannot be traded or resold like a physical disc.

Zelnick said Take-Two’s business is already well over 90% digitally distributed, and about 98% digital when microtransactions and downloadable content are included. He did not rule out physical products entirely: “That doesn’t mean we won’t have physical editions now and then,” he said, comparing discs to vinyl records, which survive in music despite digital dominance.

The case for and against

For a release like GTA 6, where day-one player counts matter enormously, digital distribution offers simultaneous global launches, no stock shortages and lower manufacturing costs. Most large games also require an online connection or a large download at launch anyway.

The audience remains split. Collectors argue that a disc means real ownership, the ability to lend, trade or resell a game, and access that does not depend on a storefront staying online. Players with slow or capped internet connections also lose the option of installing from a disc. Digital advocates counter that instant access and no physical clutter outweigh those concerns.

Why it matters

When the company behind the biggest game of the year openly backs the digital transition, it signals where the industry is heading. Sony’s 2028 deadline now looks like industry direction rather than a lone gamble.

For players in the GCC, where buying and trading used physical games has long been a common way to save money, the change removes a secondhand market for new releases. Players should factor that into what they pay for GTA 6 and future PlayStation games.