Overview
- Sony confirmed on July 1 that it will stop producing physical PlayStation game discs for new releases starting January 2028, shifting sales to digital downloads and codes.
- Fan groups and a Change.org petition titled “Don't Kill the Disc” collected roughly 345,000 signatures and the preservation account Does It Play? announced a coordinated PSBlackout for August 23–30 asking players to log out, power down, and avoid purchases.
- The protest aims to hit Sony’s key engagement metric — daily active users — by removing player activity for one week, a window organisers chose to avoid major new releases so developers face minimal disruption.
- Industry data and analysts note the campaign faces headwinds because digital sales make up about 78–80% of full‑game purchases and Sony reported roughly 125 million monthly active users, which may blunt the blackout’s measurable impact.
- Observers warn the phaseout could hurt second‑hand markets, physical retailers and long‑term game preservation, and they say the next signs to watch are participation rates during the blackout and any changes in Sony’s sales or public response.