Physical Discs ‘Don’t Really Make Sense for the Consumer,’ Says Take-Two CEO

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick isn’t apologizing for GTA 6 skipping discs, and he thinks the rest of the industry is headed the same direction.

Zelnick Responds to Sony’s Disc Announcement

The comments came during Take-Two’s August 7 earnings call, when Zelnick was asked directly about Sony’s recent decision to end physical PlayStation game production starting in 2028. His answer was blunt: “Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” he said.

“So in certain instances, especially if it’s a big game, discs just — and note I said discs — don’t really make sense for the consumer.”

He continued: “Most instances you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you’re already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It’s all the same, and it’s much more convenient.”

The question wasn’t hypothetical. GTA 6’s physical edition won’t include a disc at all; buyers get a box with a download code instead, and that decision has already drawn pushback. Some retailers reportedly said they won’t carry GTA 6 unless Rockstar includes an actual disc.

Zelnick Also Thinks The World Is Headed Towards An All-digital Future

Zelnick didn’t comment on Sony’s move directly but made clear he agrees with the direction:

“That’s where the world is going, in our opinion, and I think Sony understands that. We certainly understand that.”

He did leave room for physical media to survive in a limited form. “It doesn’t mean that we won’t have physical editions now and then — I’m sure we will, in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business. But in other instances, it just won’t make sense.”

What This Means for Collectors

Zelnick’s framing puts the burden of proof on physical media rather than digital. For a company already 90% digital, discs read less like a standard and more like an exception reserved for select releases.

That’s unlikely to satisfy preservationists and collectors, who value discs for resale, offline access, and long-term ownership, none of which a download code fully replicates. With Sony’s 2028 phase-out now on the calendar and GTA 6 launching disc-free in November, the industry’s shift away from physical media looks less like speculation and more like a timeline.