Sony will no longer sell digital game codes at retail stores

Sony is pulling digital game codes from retail stores!

For Playstation gamers that prefer to buy digital game codes at retail, Sony has other plans. Starting April 1st, digital game cards that contain full game downloads will be removed from retail stores. This will make the PlayStation Store the only official way to buy digital games for the PlayStation 4. However, buying Playstation Store gift cards will also be another viable option for those reluctant to share their credit card information with Sony. For gamers that have preordered digital codes from retail stores, their preorders will be transformed into physical copies. Like most gaming companies, Sony seems to be progressing towards an all-digital future that doesn’t require retail stores.

While this new practice doesn’t completely leave gamers out in the cold, it’s still another anti-consumer practice. Since the 2011 hack of the PlayStation Store, many players have remained hesitant to share their credit card information and have relied on digital game codes for their purchases. Everything from indie games to the biggest releases of the year was usually available as digital codes. Nintendo and Microsoft have yet to follow Sony’s bold move but the likelihood that they have considered this is high. It’ll be interesting to see the reaction (if any) to this new change but don’t surprised if the PlayStation 5 abandons retail stores even more.