Concerns have emerged that low-income gamers could be hit hardest if Sony stops producing physical game discs from 2028. Users who have relied on the used-game market and offline distribution would lose a path to buying games cheaply. Many regions also lack sufficient internet access and payment methods needed for digital purchases.

Decrypto, a blockchain media outlet, reported on Nov. 7 that the game industry is warning that shrinking physical discs could do more than change distribution and could raise economic barriers to playing games.

The biggest advantage of physical discs is that they can be traded secondhand. Users can play games relatively cheaply through used copies or discounted products without buying new releases at full price. If digital sales become central, access to used trading and offline discounted distribution is likely to shrink.

Joost van Dreunen (유스트 판 드루넨), a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, pointed out that users in lower economic brackets would lose the chance to buy games through retail distribution and discounted used titles. He said the change may not immediately affect the performance of major game companies, but industry focus is shifting to users who can consume premium game experiences.

Another concern is that the burden of buying games could rise as console prices increase. Sony raised PlayStation 5 prices in March, citing pressure from the global economic environment. Next-generation Xbox prices have also been discussed at as high as $1,800. For users who must buy both a console and games, the shift to digital could add to costs.

In Africa in particular, concerns have been raised that a disc-free game environment could significantly reduce accessibility. Isa Muhammad (이사 무하마드), founder of Africa-Middle East gaming industry platform Vzrtic, said the PlayStation 5 price is already beyond what most Africans can afford. Even users who can buy a console are in practice reducing game costs by using the used-game market, he said.

The infrastructure needed for digital purchases is also insufficient. PlayStation Network officially supports only South Africa in Africa. Users in other countries such as Nigeria often register their accounts in overseas regions such as the United States or Britain and use foreign gift cards or dollar payment methods.

That approach could conflict with Sony's terms of service. Sony requires accounts to be registered to a user's actual country of residence, and accounts created with false information can be suspended or shut down. Muhammad pointed out that Nigerian or Egyptian users using U.S. or British PSN accounts could itself be a violation of the rules.

If an account is suspended, there is also a risk of losing access to purchased games. Muhammad said he is concerned about situations in which African users ask Sony customer support to restore accounts. If account information does not comply with the rules, they may not receive support or could face suspension. He added that if users cannot restore an account after buying a game, they may have to create a new account and buy the game again.

Internet access is also an obstacle to the digital shift. Van Dreunen said the bandwidth needed to download games has effectively become part of the cost of buying games. He said that even in rural areas of the United States, 1 in 4 households cannot access fixed-line service of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, and that it takes about 11 hours to download a 50 GB game on a 10 Mbps connection.

Conditions in Africa and the Middle East vary widely by country. Muhammad said there are places such as Dubai where fast internet is available, but there are also areas such as Iran where access is unstable. Internet costs are also high in Nigeria. He said he recently paid 75,000 naira, about $55, for a 450 GB broadband plan, which is more than the local monthly minimum wage.

The burden increases as game sizes grow. GTA 6 is expected to have a 212 GB pre-download size. Muhammad said local users may have to shoulder an additional $25 to $60 or more for downloads, on top of an $80 game price. Speedtest by Ookla data show Nigeria's median download speed is 36.77 Mbps. At that speed, downloading 212 GB takes about 13 hours.

Users also need to prepare overseas accounts and payment methods, as well as download codes that match the account country. If discs disappear, users would have to accept multiple constraints not only when buying games but also when maintaining continued access to the games they purchased.

British user rights group Gamers Voice also pointed out that Sony's reduction of physical discs could be more likely to affect low-income users.