During Take-Two Interactive's earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick defended the company's decision not to release a physical disc for Grand Theft Auto 6, saying that discs "don't really make sense for the consumer" in certain cases, especially for big games. He noted that the company's business is "well over 90% digitally distributed" already, calling it "already a digital business."
Zelnick argued that since most games require players to register online anyway, downloading digitally is just as convenient, saying, "So if you're already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It's all the same, and it's much more convenient." PC Gamer noted that this convenience depends on having reliable internet access, and that physical copies still hold appeal for some players who value tangible ownership.
Despite the digital push, Zelnick said Take-Two isn't abandoning physical releases entirely. He compared the format to vinyl records' persistence in the music industry, saying, "It doesn't mean that we won't have physical editions now and then... in other instances, it just won't make sense." According to IGN's headline coverage, Zelnick did not rule out a disc release for GTA 6 at some point and said the digital-only decision had nothing to do with concerns over leaks, though further details from that report were not available.
The debate over physical media has intensified following Sony's announcement that it plans to end production of game discs starting in 2028, a move tied to the eventual digital-only PlayStation 6. Polygon reported that Sony's decision has drawn continued backlash from players who say they still value physical formats.
Zelnick also addressed the rising cost of gaming hardware, calling the trend "not a good thing," but suggested that the industry may soon shift toward cloud-based play. He said, "I think we'll be in commercial streaming mode in three years," predicting that current issues like latency will be resolved enough to make streaming more viable for major titles.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is set for release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with no PC version yet announced, according to PC Gamer.