Following Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) decision to gradually exit the physical game market for PlayStation, some players launched a "PlayStation Blackout" boycott during the last week of August. The campaign urged gamers to stop using their consoles, refrain from making purchases on the PlayStation Store, and avoid renewing services like PlayStation Plus, aiming to express their dissatisfaction with the policy to phase out physical discs. However, the latest analysis indicates this protest appears to have had no significant impact on the platform.
According to Circana analyst Matt Piscatella, PlayStation's player count and overall platform engagement showed "no significant change" during the boycott period. While Piscatella did not disclose specific data, his observations suggest the campaign's actual impact was quite limited.
In fact, the boycott's effectiveness was questioned from the outset, largely due to its timing. The protest coincided with the reveal of "Grand Theft Auto VI" gameplay content and a beta test for "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," two highly anticipated titles that likely drove player engagement and spending during the same period. 
Currently, Sony shows no indication of altering its physical game policy, with next year anticipated to be PlayStation's final year of supporting physical media. Some upcoming PlayStation exclusives are expected to be among the last titles to receive physical releases.
Meanwhile, rumors suggest the next-generation Xbox may still include a disc drive. Microsoft has also recently begun testing a feature that allows players to digitize some physical games. Should Sony ultimately exit the physical market entirely, whether Xbox will capitalize on the opportunity to fill that void remains a key point of interest.
via： IGN