Former Square Enix Exec Believes PS Store Prices Could Decrease with Digital-Only Releases

A former Square Enix executive, Jacob Navok, now CEO of Genvid, has shared his thoughts on the potential impact of Sony's decision to end physical media on PlayStation. Navok believes that this shift could lead to lower prices for games on the PS Store. He argues that competition between publishers, rather than between digital stores, drives pricing pressure. As a result, the end of physical media could lead to more sales and dynamic pricing on the PS Store, similar to what is seen on Steam.

Navok's argument is based on the idea that publishers set the prices on digital stores, and that competition between stores like the Epic Games Store and Steam primarily affects the revenue share for developers. He points to the example of Final Fantasy 16's pricing on Steam, which has decreased over time due to competitive pressure. Navok predicts that as the PlayStation Store becomes digital-only, this trend will accelerate, leading to more competitive pricing among publishers.

However, it's worth noting that cheaper games may not offset the potential downsides of the move to digital-only releases. Concerns remain around digital ownership rights, and the lack of a physical option may be a drawback for some players. Sony has confirmed that it will cease supporting physical media at the beginning of 2028, and a notice has been added to new PS5 consoles with disc drives to warn users of this change.