Overview
- Sony announced in early July 2026 that it will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028, a shift the company says reflects the dominance of digital sales.
- Fans have rallied online against the change and a Change.org petition called “Don't Kill the Disc” has drawn roughly 345,000 signatures as of late July.
- A social‑media group called Does it play? is promoting a seven‑day #PSBlackout from August 23–30 that asks players to turn off or log out of PlayStation systems to reduce daily active user metrics.
- Industry watchers say the protest highlights worries about ownership, resale and long‑term access while analysts expect the boycott is unlikely to reverse Sony’s strategy.
- Separately, Sony’s disc partner is repurposing capacity at its Thalgau, Austria plant and legal complaints and regulatory questions have been filed in Europe, raising risks for retailers and game preservation efforts.