GameStop CEO dismisses Sony’s physical game shift

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen says Sony’s plan to stop producing new physical PlayStation game discs in January 2028 is “totally irrelevant” to the retailer—a position likely to frustrate gamers fighting to preserve physical game ownership.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Cohen dismissed concerns that the move would materially affect GameStop. “It doesn’t matter at all,” he said.

“It mattered in the past; software makes up less than 12% of the business. Collectibles makes up over half of the business, so it’s totally irrelevant.”

GameStop’s shift toward collectibles

Cohen’s comments are blunt, but Bloomberg reports that physical and digital games together account for only 18% of GameStop’s total revenue. The retailer has increasingly centered its business on collectibles, including Pokémon cards, a shift reflected prominently on its website.

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Sony’s decision has drawn widespread consumer backlash. Critics see the end of disc production as a threat to game ownership, particularly as a digital-only console gives platform holders greater control over access to purchased media. Sony recently removed more than 500 purchased movies from users' libraries, reinforcing those concerns.

Sony’s argument is similar to GameStop’s: in its announcement, the company pointed to the fact that most gamers now buy games digitally. Consumers, however, argue that eliminating discs removes a purchase option without providing a clear benefit.

Physical and second-hand retailers can also offer games at prices below those typically found on the PlayStation Store. Sony has not addressed the backlash since announcing the change, while gamers hope statements from executives such as Cohen will not weaken efforts to retain physical copies.