Sony’s plan to stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028 could mean more than the end of a plastic case on a shelf. For service members who game in barracks, on ships, overseas or during deployment, it may have even more negative impact. The move comes as the video game industry continues to shift toward digital purchases, and as some of the biggest titles in gaming are already testing how far players are willing to go in moving away from discs. Grand Theft Auto VI, one of the most anticipated games in years and one of the industry's biggest-ever franchises, has also become part of the physical-media debate after reports that its physical retail version would not include a traditional disc and would instead rely on a digital code. For troops and military families, the question is less nostalgic than practical: What happens when new games require reliable internet, account access, storage space and digital storefronts that may not always be easy to use from a barracks room, shipboard lounge, overseas installation or remote duty station? Military.com reached out to Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft and Navy MWR for comment. None responded before publication.