Sony confirms all new PlayStation games from 2028 will be digital-only. Capcom's physical sales have dropped to just 7%. Here's what this seismic shift means for RE:9's console future.
Sony has finally made it official: starting in 2028, all new PlayStation games will be digital-only. The announcement, which sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, signals the end of an era for physical game media on Sony's platforms. While the decision has been rumored for years, the confirmed timeline has forced publishers — including Capcom — to confront a future without disc-based distribution.
For Resident Evil fans, this news arrives at a pivotal moment. RE:9 Requiem has been a massive success, surpassing 8 million copies sold and becoming the fastest-selling Resident Evil title in franchise history. But Capcom's latest financial reports reveal a telling statistic: physical sales now account for only 7% of Capcom's total game revenue. That figure has been in steady decline since the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the industry's shift toward digital distribution.
"The disc is becoming a collector's item, not a primary distribution method," said a games industry analyst who tracks Capcom's financial performance. "When a company as big as Capcom reports only 7% physical sales, and their biggest franchise — Resident Evil — is leading the digital charge, the writing is on the wall."
For the upcoming Resident Evil 9: Requiem premium DLC and the inevitable RE:10, this means Capcom will almost certainly design future titles with a digital-first philosophy. Physical collector's editions may still exist — Capcom has a strong track record of premium packages for Resident Evil — but they will likely ship as download code boxes, much like we saw with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Switch 2.
The implications for RE:9's console versions are significant. With Sony's disc phase-out beginning in 2028, any Resident Evil title launching after that point will be all-digital on PlayStation. This could mean faster load times and streamlined updates — but it also means no trade-ins, no second-hand market, and no physical collection for series fans who have proudly displayed their Resident Evil game cases dating back to the original PlayStation era.
Capcom has not yet issued an official response to Sony's announcement, but internal sources suggest the company has been preparing for this transition. The success of digital-only releases like Resident Evil Village and RE:9 Requiem itself — both of which saw digital sales outpacing physical by margins of 10:1 — has given Capcom confidence that its audience is ready for the transition.
For now, RE:9 Requiem will continue to receive physical releases on PS5 for the remainder of its lifecycle. But players looking ahead to RE:10, expected sometime after 2028 based on Capcom's five-year roadmap, should prepare for a fully digital future on PlayStation.