PlayStation fans are organizing a boycott of the platform after it was revealed that Sony will not produce physical versions of new games starting in 2028. The effort is the latest in a series of attempts by fans to stop PlayStation from going through with its plans.
Ownership of games is a topic that has concerned gamers for quite some time. Most of the time, physical media guarantees that gamers can continue to access their games whenever they want, for as long as they want, even if the console is long out of date. Digital games, on the other hand, come with the caveat that gamers don't actually own them, but are instead purchasing a license to play, which can potentially be revoked. PlayStation's decision to switch to Display Future has not sat well with many fans, accordingly.
Digital-only future PlayStation boycott announced
Now, there are plans to boycott PlayStation services in protest of the company's plans to switch to an all-digital format in the future. Will It Play?, a proponent of physical gaming media, shared the plan, which calls for a PlayStation gaming blackout in August. The boycott criticizes Sony's latest decision, among others, and then calls on gamers to log out or unplug their PlayStation consoles starting at 7pm local time on August 23, and to maintain that offline status until August 30 at the same time. The thinking is that this will demonstrate to Sony how many players are upset by the decision, and force the company to consider how moving forward with the plan could potentially affect its bottom line.
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As mentioned, this is the latest in an attempt to get Sony to change its mind. Gamers have shared their displeasure over the move on social media across the internet, and a PlayStation Disc petition has also been doing the rounds. Sony has remained silent on the matter since announcing the decision, which has disappointed those opposed to the move. Unfortunately, some industry experts have indicated that Sony is highly unlikely to reverse course, with one saying that even if half a million gamers decide to cancel their PS Plus accounts in protest, it won't be enough to make a real dent in Sony's business.
Sony is making this decision largely because it is more profitable to simply sell licenses to digital games than to manufacture and ship physical copies. Statistics indicate that anywhere from 70-80% of game sales are digital, so many gamers feel no real reason to push Sony on this matter. These figures have only increased since both Xbox and PlayStation introduced discless versions of their consoles this generation and cut prices.
While some are still pushing Sony to change its mind, it's a logical path that gaming has already been on for a long time. Most PC gamers are now only playing digital games, thanks to platforms like Steam, and many modern gaming PCs don't even have disc drives anymore. However, even when purchasing the physical version of the game, the actual copy of the game data is not included. Physical versions with download codes and game-key cards of the Nintendo Switch 2 do not include files in the games, with the physical components essentially serving only as display pieces or memorabilia. It will probably take a great deal to get Sony to think about changing its mind on the matter, but some members of the community are not giving up just yet.
