Nerd News

⚡ Quick Take

• PlayStation will delete 551 movies from customer libraries on September 1, 2026.
• The titles all fall under Sony’s license agreement with Studio Canal.
• Sony is providing no compensation for lost digital goods.

Earlier on Wednesday, we told you about Sony declaring they’d stop making physical discs for PlayStation games beginning in 2028. They have fully embraced the digital media revolution. So why, then, you might ask, are they also telling customers movies they bought digitally will disappear from their libraries? In the most general sense, it’s because digital ownership isn’t a thing. Unless you have a physical object, you merely have temporary access. But in specific, it’s because Sony lost the rights to Studio Canal titles. That’s 551 movies, just gone from libraries beginning September 1.

This was news last week, which we saw via Kotaku. Sony’s deal for movies Studio Canal owns or distributes—we’re talking things like Terminator 2, Total Recall, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind—lapsed. Sony’s email to impacted customers called it “content licensing agreements.” Because, if you get right down to it, Sony was never selling you the movie. It was charging you full price for the privilege to watch it until they no longer have the license to do so. Or, more accurately, Sony doesn’t want to pay Studio Canal their asking price for those titles. Sorry, customers.

Tri-Star

All the more upsetting, Sony told affected customers “you will no longer be able to access your previously purchased content from Studio Canal, and it will be removed from your video library.” No refund or consolation prize or anything of that nature. Just, sorry Jim, you can’t watch this stuff you paid for. (Your name is Jim in this scenario.)

By this point, you probably don’t me to yet again harp on the importance of physical media ownership. But if you were someone who maybe unwittingly “owned” potentially hundreds of movies that now just suddenly disappear from your library, that’s not just loss a content license agreement, that’s theft. Sony is stealing the thing you paid them for. Now they won’t even give you the option of owning physical game discs either. So what are you to do?

Physical media certainly takes up space, but it takes up space because it’s real and it’s yours. It’s in your home, where you can get to it any time you want to. If you pay $25 for a Blu-ray, you own that Blu-ray until such time as you choose not to have it anymore. And then you know what you can do? You can sell that physical object for real money.

For the complete list of titles affected in the Studio Canal Sony debacle, click here. Then get ready to say “buh bye” to movies like Hot Fuzz, Evil Dead 2, and This Is Spinal Tap.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post PlayStation Deleting 551 Movies from Customer’s Libraries appeared first on Nerdist.

The company has grown rapidly by acquiring and revamping last-generation tech brands like AOL, Eventbrite, Evernote, Meetup, and Vimeo.

The co-founders of Bending Spoons, the Italian company quietly buying beloved, ailing Internet brands, learned big lessons from their own startup's failure.

⚡ Quick Take

• The Girl, Interrupted musical is a much-needed work for our time, one that allows us to know we are seen even in darkness; our review.

I think we can all agree that the world is going through some complex, difficult times. Times that feel more intense for those of us who exist in the world carrying identities that don’t fall under societal “norms.” In times like these, it can feel like the options for our survival, joy, and flourishing are limited. But if there’s one idea we can turn to, to hold onto a light that is not necessarily all-healing but all-important, it’s community. Community can be found among our closest friends, but it can also be found among people we’ve never met; if a shared like-mindedness and belief system exists. It can be found through activism and through art. Right now, in New York City, it can be found among the audience members, creators, and performers who allow Girl, Interrupted to thrive in its musical form, night after night. Community can’t always help us escape our nightmares, but it can help us face the issues that threaten our dreams, and beautifully, bravely, Girl, Interrupted gives voice to so many fears we all face, all while reminding us that we are not alone in facing them.

Joan Marcus

The Girl, Interrupted musical is crucially based on the book by Susanna Kaysen. Many might know the movie Girl, Interrupted, also an adaptation of the book. But it might come as a bit of a surprise to learn that Kaysen’s story is actually a memoir of her time at a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s. While the Girl, Interrupted musical, of course, expands and imagines the material beyond the specific lines of the source text, it ultimately remains much more faithful to the book than the movie version of the story. And, importantly, the musical cleaves to the intention that Kaysen holds closest to her heart for her life’s tale.

In 2022, Kaysen noted of her book, “The familiar thing, I think, was a person adrift, frightened, overwhelmed by existence and unable, for a moment, to engage with a life for herself…A lot has changed in the decades since this book was published, and even more since I was in the hospital. And perhaps the stigma of depression and ‘mental illness’ has diminished somewhat. But suffering doesn’t change. This book, written under a delusion, has brought many readers some comfort. I hope it still has that to offer thirty years later.”

And it is safe to say that the Girl, Interrupted musical, expertly written by Martyna Majok, with gorgeous original music by Aimee Mann, perceptive and nuanced direction by Jo Bonney, and lovely choreography by Sonya Tayeh, precisely achieves this bringing of comfort.

Joan Marcus

The Girl, Interrupted musical follows the story of Susanna, played by Juliana Canfield, as she admits herself into the McLean psychiatric hospital, where she connects with the other young women in the facility, all of them holding onto their struggles, their hopes, their identities, and one another as they try to understand what it means to live. Creating Susanna’s cohort of community in the hospital is her earnest roommate, Grace, played Mia Pak, the closed-off but warm-hearted Daisy, played by Katherine Reis, the hopeful but struggling Polly, played by Sally Shaw, the standoffish but fragile Tori, played by Gabi Campo, and, of course, the self-proclaimed “psycopath,” who wishes for community no lesss than anyone else, Lisa, played by King Princess.

All of these young women are brilliant in their roles. And what I like the most is the different kinds of womanhood on display in the musical. There’s Lisa’s Bowie-like androgyny, Polly’s welcome warmth, Daisy’s high femininity, Grace’s girl-next-door energy, Susanna’s more conventional charms, and Tori’s bold, self-assured style. In what I felt were super meaningful stage directions, no woman even sits in a chair the same way, Lisa sprawling, Polly tucking her ankles behind each other, some leaning with their feet up on each other’s chairs; the personalities of these characters poured out onto the stage from the smallest details to the largest, helping to build a full, realized, resonant vision of every woman in her own right. Even while, in essence, trapped in a place that was trying to diminish their differences and their otherness, the individuality of each woman shone.

Joan Marcus

In sharp contradiction to this, every man in the musical was played by the same actor (also brilliant) Manoel Felciano, who is billed simply as “The Male Presence.” While, of course, there is variation among men, in this musical, the notion of “The Male Presence,” the haunting, chilling, suffocating hold that society and the patriarchy have on our lives, was illustrated PERFECTLY by this conceit. The symbolism felt wholly effective and not at all trite. The idea in the Girl, Interrupted musical is not that every man is evil, but that the systems that we live in are meant to oppress, and that oppression is so often delivered through the forms of men who would rather benefit than take a hard look at what’s happening around them.

And it’s this sharp interrogation of society that is one of the facets that is so incredible about the Girl, Interrupted musical. Of course, the women in the hospital face are struggling with difficulties that live inside themselves. But those traumas would become so much more manageable, and perhaps wouldn’t even exist, if the way life is constructed did not fail them at every turn. It is not only the intense traumas within ourselves that we struggle with, but also the underlying constructions of society that force us into them. Woven, I thought, in perfect subtlety into many of the women’s stories was the way their blood families truly let them down, be that by forcing them into the hospital, or by forcing them out of it, but, in almost every case, by refusing to see them.

That said, I think the story left space for the idea that “We can only know what we know.” And that in the past, what we thought we knew was different than what we think we know now. And what we know now, we might look back on in the future, and consider foolish. An important reminder that we are always in a place on a journey, and all we can do is try to wrestle with the lot we are offered.

Joan Marcus

But, Girl, Interrupted is very clear, the worst thing we can do is try to wrestle alone. Instead, it is in our community, in the people who do see us, that we can find the solace we need to go on. And, at every turn, this was incredibly reflected by the wondrous music of this musical. To say that the music of Girl, Interrupted felt like a religious experience would be to massively undersell its wonder. The use of live instruments on stage, combined with the incredible, almost choral soundscape that was created around every song, made emotion well, and goosebumps form at every turn.

In most cases, the songs were sung prominently by two of the women, allowing us to learn about the various pains they carried in an intimate setting and to become invested in their relationships with one another. But also, in most cases, all the songs involved all the other main women singing as a chorus in the background. In this way, even though not every woman was singing in every song, all of the women’s voices were always together, a communal wave of sound and support for one another. And this beautiful mechanism perfectly underscored the idea that because these women had found one another, they never had to truly feel alone with their pain.

The songs of the Girl, Interrupted musical were all incredibly beautiful, sweet and symphonic, even as they tackled some of the most harrowing topics one could discuss in a musical; everything from suicide to abuse to schizophrenia. The lyrics were heavy and painful and yet laden with beauty. The juxtaposition acted as a perfect reminder that all parts of us, even those we perceive as the ugliest and darkest, deserve to be treated with grace. These songs truly allowed us to get inside the minds of these characters, but also resonated within each of us, who have no doubt experienced at least shades of these traumas. And in this way, we see the characters, and they see us, and we are all, again, wonderfully together.

Joan Marcus

Who among us has not felt a painful loss of time? Or found ourselves unable to be our truest selves because of external constraints that trapped us? Throughout Girl, Interrupted, we are invited to meditate on these pains, even as we discover we hold them together. And crucially, Girl, Interrupted is realistic and bittersweet. It doesn’t imply that having a community can heal all these great wounds. It does not promise us that we can win every battle when it comes to being true to ourselves, that we will always be able to rebel or find absolute freedom. But through having that community, we know our own identity better, our wounds are more easily carried, and the only lives we have become better, even when everything feels dark.

In addition to all of this, Girl, Interrupted really deftly does a lot with a little in its staging, keeping things simple so the emotions can pop, and also allowing the audience to incorporate their own imaginations into the mix, leaving space for our perceptions to blend with the staging. Although with time, I’d feel curious to see how the production design could expand. The Girl, Interrupted musical also knows how to layer humor with heaviness, bringing levity and lightness right at the moment when a break is much needed. Personally, as a professional writer, I enjoyed all the jokes about how you can’t possibly make a living as a professional writer. I see you, Girl, Interrupted, and you see me.

It’s fitting then that Girl, Interrupted ends with an incredible ballad called “I See You.” And it’s guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes as it makes the interesting framing device of the story, Susanna looking at the Vermeer painting “Girl Interrupted at Her Music” and pondering its meaning, come to true life. The finale involves all the women in the cast, and it swells, surrounds you, and brings you in. Community found. True catharsis achieved. Girl, understood.

Joan Marcus

Ultimately, Girl, Interrupted is a much-needed work for our time, one that makes us think about the past, present, and future, where we’ve evolved, where we’ve fallen short, and where we could still triumph. And about how community can’t heal all wounds, but it can certainly make our existence better as we navigate the perils of being true to ourselves, our beautiful otherness, and existing in society.

Girl, Interrupted (Musical) ⭐ (4.5 of 5)

Girl, Interrupted is running until July 12, 2026, at The Public. Tickets are available now for purchase.

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The post The GIRL, INTERRUPTED Musical Allows Us to Be Beautifully Seen, Together (Review) appeared first on Nerdist.

Meta says usernames improve privacy, but critics question whether its safeguards can prevent impersonation.

⚡ Quick Take

• One of LEGO’s newest sets is an homage to one of Star Wars’ most well-known characters.
• Boba Fett is the bounty hunter who was hired to track down the Millennium Falcon in the original trilogy.
• Be on the lookout for three new LEGO Star Wars sets coming out this year.

Since the late 90s, LEGO and Star Wars have been inseparable brands. That remains the case today. One of LEGO’s highly anticipated 2026 sets is dropping this August: The Boba Fett statue.

LEGO, Lucasfilm

Boba Fett is the son and clone of the notorious bounty hunter Jango Fett. His first appearance was in 1980 in The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader assigns him to tracking down the Millennium Falcon. In the prequel trilogy, his backstory is explored. We see him grow up as a clone of his father. After four appearances in the main storyline, Boba Fett has become a beloved character from the franchise.

Boba Fett is no stranger to LEGO and has appeared as a minifig in a variety of sets over the years. There was also a Boba Fett helmet statuette, which is now retired. Now, the bounty hunter returns in the form of a full-body statue.

LEGO, Lucasfilm

Builders will be able to construct Fett’s customized Mandalorian armor, including a torn fabric cape. The set includes a base to stand the statue on, alongside a placard with information about the character. The finished statue, including the base, measures 16 inches tall, and the set includes 1,544 pieces.

Pay tribute to a bounty hunter with real swag: Boba Fett. Recreate Boba’s armored outfit, as seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™. Add his fabric cape and equip him with a blaster. Adjust his head and arms for intimidating battle poses.

This is not the only new Star Wars set coming out this year. Also releasing in August is the Hutt Palace Sentry Droid Showdown set. It chronicles a battle from The Mandalorian and Grogu, which came out this year. In addition, LEGO is putting out a Star Wars Christmas advent calendar this September, which, spoilers, includes a Grogu mini-minifig.

Both the Boba Fett statue and the Hutt Palace Showdown set will come out August 1.

The post LEGO Reveals Boba Fett Statue Set to Come in August appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Hellraiser is coming to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Orlando and Hollywood.
• Universal has released an announcement trailer starring Pinhead and the Cenobites.
• HHN merch launched Wednesday, July 1 at 9 am PST.

“We have such sights to show you.” Those were the immortal words of Pinhead, leader of the demonic Cenobites, in Clive Barker’s original Hellraiser. And soon, he’ll be able to show these terrifying sights to horror fans in person. Yes, for the first time ever, a Hellraiser-themed haunted house is coming to both Universal Studios in Orlando and Universal Studios in Hollywood for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.

This new experience will transport fans into Clive Barker’s dark imagination, where “desire, suffering, and the unknown collide.” This all begins on Friday, August 28, in Orlando, and Thursday, September 3, in Hollywood. You can check out a teaser video from Universal Halloween Horror Nights’ new Hellraiser experience down below.

The new Hellraiser haunted house will be based on the first three (and best) movies in the franchise. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser from 1987, Hellbound: Hellraiser II from 1988, and Hellraiser III from 1992. Hopefully, the inclusion of the latter means we’re going to see the CD head Cenobite. The coolest aspect of this new haunted house, however, is that Doug Bradley himself will lend his voice to Pinhead for the attraction. The original film introduced audiences to the chilling mythology of the Lament Configuration puzzle box. When an unsuspecting person solved the puzzle box, it opened a portal to another dimension inhabited by the ritualistically torturous beings, the Cenobites, and their leader, the iconic Pinhead. You can read the official description for the new Hellraiser haunted house below:

The terrifying experience begins as guests enter the iconic Lament Configuration puzzle box, unwittingly summoning the Cenobites and opening a gateway to a diabolical dimension where unspeakable horrors await. From the shadowy attic in Frank Cotton’s family home where he was first cast to Hell, to the disturbing Channard Institute where the legendary box lures guests with its promise of forbidden pleasures, fans will encounter haunting moments and settings from the Hellraiser franchise at every turn. Their unnerving journey ultimately lands them in The Labyrinth where Pinhead and the Cenobites lie in wait for new souls to torment for eternity.

Universal Studios

New limited-release merchandise inspired by the Hellraiser haunted house, including a T-shirt and a Pinhead acrylic figure, are now available at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood and will launch Wednesday, July 1 at 9 am PST on shopUniversal.com. To purchase tickets to Halloween Horror Nights, be sure to click here.

The post HELLRAISER Coming to Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2026 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The anime, based on the Cyberpunk games, had incredible audience ratings for its first season.

Four years after the release of its first season, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has revealed its season two trailer, with this next season’s title as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. The anime is one of Netflix’s highest-rated series ever, with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. On June 29, fans saw, for the first time, the cast of characters of the second season, and have already started making speculations.

Edgerunners is an anime based on the video game Cyberpunk 2077, set in a futuristic world full of cyborgs. Season one followed David Martinez, who was a student before becoming a cyborg mercenary.

A Street Kid trying to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an Edgerunner, a Mercenary outlaw also known as a Cyberpunk.

Now, season two introduces an entirely new group of characters to follow. The trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 tells us almost nothing about them, only made up of colorful, bloody, action-filled clips set to a nu-metal-esque song.

CD PROJEKT RED

When Cyberpunk 2077 came out in 2020, it was met with a wave of negative audience ratings. After a long wait for what seemed to be a great game premise, the game’s quality left users upset. The player experience was… not good. Bugs ran rampant, and the developers had not had the time to perfect the mechanics.

According to Jade King from The Gamer, CD PROJEKT RED “rushed [it] out in unfinished form after several delays to appease shareholders,” despite protests from stressed game developers.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in the dark future of Night City — a dangerous megalopolis obsessed with power, glamor, and ceaseless body modification.

However, the game had its redemption arc. Developers fixed in-game bugs, resolved the constant crashes, and perhaps the largest part of the shift was the release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, an anime based on the game.

Netflix, CD PROJEKT RED, TRIGGER

If the show follows the style of the trailer, a large portion of it may be from the perspective of a camcorder, held by an unnamed kid silently documenting the bloody events around him. However, that style could have definitely just been used to up the cool, retro vibe of the trailer. Despite being set in the future, the show does have a distinctly 90s/early 2000s style.

And man, did season one scar the audience. Spoiler: most of the top comments on the new trailer allude to characters’ tragic ends in the first season. Here are some of my favorites:

• “Can’t wait to get emotionally attached to new characters just so Night City can delete them like a corrupted save file.” @RoninPirate
• “I’m sure this crew will meet a very happy ending.” @clydecash7124
• “The VICTIM CAST of season 2 looks amazing” @deepakdolwani9466

So, to say the least, fans think they know how the season will end. But nobody knows, because the trailer itself is certainly vague.

The season has no specific release date, but the trailer says it will be coming to Netflix this Fall.

The post CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS 2 Anime Reveals Action-Packed Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Sadie Sink’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day was so secretive that she didn’t do an audition and got the script on the way to filming.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters in just a couple of weeks. And somehow, despite living in a world where pretty much everything is spoiled somehow, we still do not have a definitive answer about who Sadie Sink is playing in the movie. Is she Jean Grey or another character that will be completely new to the Marvel Universe? We will see soon. In fact, things were so secretive with Sadie Sink and this role that she didn’t audition for it and did not receive a script until she was flying to London for filming. 

Netflix

Nylon posted this information in a profile piece featuring Sink, where she said it was easy to simply keep her mouth shut. If someone paid me millions of dollars to play a role and keep quiet about it, I’d do that, too. Even Tom Holland, who is known for accidentally spilling the beans, hasn’t said anything about it. Apparently, Brand New Day director Daniel Destin Cretton offered Sadie Sink the role directly with no audition necessary, which makes sense considering they’ve collaborated before. Sink is no stranger to a fervent fanbase after Stranger Things but the Marvel world is something far bigger. 

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“I knew that Marvel was a big deal and had a big brand, especially Spider-Man,” Sink told Nylon. “I know there’s a huge fan base, but it feels really big. I think these blockbuster movies are a whole different beast.” 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31.

The post Sadie Sink Didn’t Have to Audition for BRAND NEW DAY Role appeared first on Nerdist.

Research appears to reveal a bug that could render the feature effectively useless.

⚡ Quick Take

• The cult 1960s vampire soap opera Dark Shadows is getting a revival from Warner Bros. as an adult-oriented animated series.

The popularity of the vampire genre goes in cycles. In the late 2000s, it was all about Twilight and True Blood. Then, it crawled back into the grave for a time. Now, thanks to shows like The Vampire Lestat, and musicals like The Lost Boys, the undead are cool once again. So Warner Brothers is looking to bring back another once-popular vampire series from its vaults. It was announced at the Annecy Animation Film Festival, via The Hollywood Reporter, that the 1960s cult TV series Dark Shadows, which made a household name for the vampire Barnabas Collins, is getting reimagined as an adult animation series. Lisa Holdsworth, a writer on Discovery of Witches, will executive produce and be the showrunner on the series.

Warner Bros.

Originally running from 1966 to 1971, Dark Shadows was a gothic soap opera centering on a New England family. The series originally aired on ABC during weekday afternoons. But early on, ratings began to slip. So the show introduced a new lead character, the 18th-century vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid. The show then tripled in popularity, becoming a serialized saga about not only vampires, but witches, ghosts, and time travel. It even spawned two movie spinoffs in the early ’70s. It was probably the first sympathetic vampire portrayal in mass media, a decade before Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire arrived in 1976.

A Primetime revival aired in 1991, but it lasted only one season. Tim Burton, who loved the show as a child, made a live-action film based on Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp in 2012. But the comedic take flopped, putting the franchise back in the ground again. But transforming it into an adult animated series is a logical way to revive the series, so the creators’ imaginations can run wild, with less of a worry about budget. Although not confirmed, one imagines this is meant for HBO Max, although, like Warner Animation’s Batman: Caped Crusader, it could run on another streamer. We imagine we’ll learn more about this new take on Dark Shadows very soon.

The post DARK SHADOWS Getting Revived as Adult Skewing Animated Show appeared first on Nerdist.

SpaceX reportedly showed investors a "handset-like" AI device before going public. It could be another signal SpaceX wants to expand into wireless.

The actor and investor is joining forces with Morgan Beller, who was previously a GP at NFX, to invest in early-stage startups.

⚡ Quick Take

• The second episode of X-Men ’97 season two changed the iconic opening credits to showcase X-Force.
• The episode, “A Force to be Reckoned With,” is all about Cable’s team of Mutant mercenaries.
• The government-sponsored X-Factor are the antagonists.

After two long years, X-Men ’97 is finally back, and they dropped us right in the middle of the action with our time-lost X-Men. But it was the second episode of the season, “A Force to be Reckoned With,” that was perhaps the most fun, because it introduced us to the animated version of X-Force. And as X-Men ’97 often does, it gave us a new opening credits scene just for this episode, focused solely on the cyborg soldier Cable’s mutant black ops squad. But the amazing theme music is thankfully the same. You can watch the X-Force ’97 opening credits below:

X-Force '97 Opening Theme (X-Men '97 Season 2) pic.twitter.com/xuBn6B7pR7

— Blaze Binges (@BlazeBinges) July 1, 2026

So what’s different in this opening sequence? Quite a bit. We see Cable, a.k.a. Nathan Dayspring Summers, fighting off a battalion of Sentinels. Jubilee’s intro in the credits is much the same, with the young X-Man lighting off fireworks. However, her costume is different. Sunspot is wearing his ’90s Marvel Comics uniform, and finally lands a spot in the opening credits. Psylocke prowls the rooftops of Japan, and Archangel flies into the sky and shoots razor-sharp projectiles from his wings. We then get clips from past X-Men: The Animated Series episodes, like Cable fighting Apocalypse, and Warren Worthington’s transformation into Archangel.

Marvel Television

The opening credits also fill in some missing story beats from the actual episode. We see Psylocke training Jubilee in a combat scenario, with Jubilee blindfolded, Luke Skywalker style. It looks like they are in a military hangar somewhere. After all, without a Danger Room, X-Force had to train somewhere. Finally, the famous “running at each other” moment before the title card goes up is now X-Force vs. Apocalypse and his Horsemen, instead of the X-Men vs. Magneto’s forces. Now, X-Factor also played a big role in this episode. Does that mean they’ll get a title credits scene of their own? We’ll have to wait and see as X-Men ’97 season two continues.

The post X-MEN ’97’s Opening Credits Turned to X-Force for An Episode appeared first on Nerdist.

The AI neocloud provider, which specializes in hosting open source models, last raised at a $3.3 billion valuation in early 2025.

Cloudflare is giving AI companies until September 15 to separate web crawlers used for search from those used for AI training and agents, or risk being blocked by default on many publisher sites.

⚡ Quick Take

• PlayStation will stop making physical game discs.
• New games made after January 2028 will not have a physical option.
• Digital downloads account for 80% of PlayStation game purchases.

Now’s the time when Grandpa Kyle gives you a tale of the 1990s. Back then, if you were lucky enough to have a home video game console, you coveted your library of games. You’d have to keep them free of dust, you’d add new ones and make room on your shelf or cupboard. And renting a new game? Oh, it would make or break a weekend. If you didn’t have the game in your hands, you couldn’t play it. Cut to now when the rise of digital downloads has made owning a physical copy of a game rarer and rarer. Add the word “obsolete” when discussing physical games and that’s where we are now as PlayStation has announced it will no long produce physical game discs.

The news comes via a blog post on the PlayStation site. Physical copies will cease production beginning January 2028.

Sony

Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Sony Interactive said, in part:

In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.

Shifting trends is right. Digital downloads of new games has completely overtaken physical, as a tweet from Daniel Ahmad illustrates. What started as roughly 10% of sales in the PS4 days has ballooned to 80% of total game sales, DLC not included.

It's no secret that digital captures a higher % of full game sales each year (no, this figure doesn't include DLC).

What started during the PS4 (less than 10% digital at the start), has evolved into 80% of full game sales being digital on an annual basis. pic.twitter.com/fn2bpDo5sB

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 1, 2026

Evidence and behind the scenes scuttle also indicates PlayStation 6 and Xbox’s Project Helix will not have a disc drive option. If you, like me, use your PlayStation has 4K disc player in addition to a way to play games, you’re SOL.

So, what does this all mean? If 80% of players already download their games rather than buy them physically, this doesn’t seem like that big of an issue, right? Well, it goes toward a growing trend of the ephemeral nature of media. Maybe not the huge, giant popular titles, but smaller games, indie games, or weird games might suddenly disappear from your library when Sony loses a license. This happens all the time. You can never actually own digital media. You merely rent it. A $70+ rental.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post PlayStation Will Cease Physical Disc Production by 2028 appeared first on Nerdist.

Honda wants in on the lucrative energy storage market. This week it began producing batteries destined for data centers, not driveways.

The autonomous vehicle space is starting to feel like a repeat of the 2016 hype cycle. Travis Kalanick is back building a robotics company, and the talent wars and capital are heating up the same way they did the first time around. The money’s flowing back, and it’s the people who lived through that first wave who are building the next one.  […]

⚡ Quick Take

• The A24 New Wave: Empowering Artists, Transforming Modern Cinema takes an in-depth and well-researched look at A24’s history and influence.

If you’re a modern cinephile, then you have certainly watched at least one A24 film. The independent production company was founded in 2012, and has quickly made an industry-shifting impact in that short amount of time. A24’s approach to delivering unconventional and niche audience driven films has led to over two dozen Academy Award wins as well as a fervent fanbase complete with active Reddit threads and its own official fanclub. How did A24 rise among status to compete with mainstay giants like Lionsgate? That’s what A24 superfan, writer, and pop culture expert Aaron West explores in The A24 New Wave: Empowering Artists, Transforming Modern Cinema. This book takes an in-depth and well-researched look at A24’s history and how the company continues to influence film trends and pop culture at large. 

CineJourneys

Nerdist received a copy of this book and couldn’t wait to dive into its contents. It explores A24 from a very holistic viewport, including its business practices that toe the line between independent film and mainstream. There are plenty of stories about some of A24’s biggest films, like The VVitch as well as directors who have helped shape its success, including Barry Jenkins, Ari Aster, and Robert Eggers. From its approach to genre trends to its unique aesthetics, A24 has created a unique standard for brave filmmaking and storytelling.

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The A24 New Wave can feel a bit like “information overload” at times, but if you are deeply into the history of filmmaking and the trends that have shaped its trajectory, this book is absolutely engaging. West himself is a moderator of the A24 subreddit and spent years piecing together the origin story of A24 following a successful Kickstarter.

In the future, there will be a digital component to the book, a website that will allow for further exploration with “excerpts, bonus chapters, sneak previews into future editions, and also journeys (aka film club) about A24 directors and their films, online classes, and so forth.” 

The A24 New Wave: Empowering Artists, Transforming Modern Cinema is currently available with both signed and unsigned copies.

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