Sony Interactive Entertainment's announcement that new PlayStation games will no longer be released in physical disc format starting January 2028 has triggered a strong backlash from both players and retail channels. A petition urging Sony to reconsider has already garnered over 300,000 signatures, and some PS5 players have taken to social media, sharing screenshots of canceled PS Plus subscriptions in protest, further escalating the controversy.
Kim Bayley, CEO of the UK's Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), sharply criticized the move:
"PlayStation's announcement that major games will no longer be released on disc is corporate convenience triumphing over consumer choice," she stated. Bayley added, "Every year, millions of players still choose to buy physical copies because they value true ownership. A disc can be shared with family, resold, collected, preserved, and most crucially, played years later—freedoms that download licenses often cannot provide."
The ERA highlighted that 25% of players under 25 still play games using discs, and the physical game market in 2025 exceeded £300 million, demonstrating a stable and significant audience for physical editions.
Despite the outcry, analysts generally believe Sony is unlikely to reverse its decision. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, told IGN, "I sympathize with physical media supporters, but Sony will not reverse this decision. They certainly knew what the reaction online would be like, and they are now just waiting for this storm to pass."
He further noted that digital versions offer significantly higher profit margins than physical ones, and even if 500,000 people cancel PS Plus, it would only account for approximately 1% of subscribers. Sony, for its part, has stated that the move is "a response to changing consumer preferences," asserting that most players are now more accustomed to acquiring games digitally.
via： IGN