Strauss Zelnick, boss of Rockstar parent company Take-Two, has defended the company’s decision not to release GTA 6 on a physical disc, insisting when it comes to big games, discs “don’t really make sense for the consumer.”
Speaking during a Q&A with analysts following the company’s Q1 2027 financial release, Zelnick declined to speak specifically about Sony’s controversial decision to kill physical disc production for PlayStation games from 2028, but did say that when it comes to GTA 6, a physical disc version simply doesn’t make sense.
“Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” Zelnick said. “It’s already a digital business. So in certain instances, especially if it’s a big game, discs just — and note I said discs — don’t really make sense for the consumer.
“Also, most instances you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you’re already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It’s all the same and it’s much more convenient.
“So that’s where the world is going in our opinion and I think Sony understands that. We certainly understand that. It doesn’t mean that we won’t have physical additions now and then, I’m sure we will in the same way that there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business. But in other instances, it just won’t make sense.”
Last week, Sony finally broke its silence on its decision to discontinue PlayStation discs to say it is not having any impact on its business now, and it doesn’t see any negative impact in the future. Executives have insisted Sony will not change its mind, while acknowledging “strong views” from the video game community.
The online backlash has seen gamers continue to call on Sony to U-turn on its decision, signing online petitions and swarming over PlayStation social media posts to express concern about video game preservation and ownership — even overshadowing the release of new games that have nothing to do with what’s going on at Sony. Meanwhile, backers of physical media have called on gamers to boycott PlayStation for a week in August to send a message to Sony that its decision to kill discs from 2028 is unacceptable.
Complaints have also come from other groups. The UK’s Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), for example, called Sony’s decision “a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].