Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced that it will cease production of physical discs for future PlayStation (PS) titles, sparking a global backlash and a collective petition movement from video game enthusiasts.

The situation ignited on the 1st, following an official Sony announcement that it would fully halt the production of disc packages for all new PS games starting January 2028. According to Sony’s roadmap, future releases will be available exclusively via digital download. Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Content Communications at SIE, stated, "As the overall preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs, this transition represents a new direction for SIE to adapt to consumer trends."

However, the move has drawn sharp criticism globally. Skeptics suggest the decision is driven by a desire to boost ESG ratings for tax incentives or capital funding, reduce the burden of backward compatibility, cut production costs, and leverage the inherent monopoly of digital stores to inflate profitability. It is worth noting that in 2021, SIE was already criticized for centralizing digital sales through the PS Store, effectively seizing price control over PS digital titles, which led to a class-action lawsuit.

In response, users and industry insiders have launched a petition on the global site change.org titled "Don't Kill the Disc: Tell Sony to Keep Physical PlayStation Games." The petition gained thousands of signatures immediately upon launch and is growing rapidly through the voluntary participation of gamers worldwide.

The industry insiders and gaming communities organizing the petition argue that "a physical package is a genuine game that a user can fully own, whereas a box containing only a download code is nothing more than digital licensing wrapped in plastic." They strongly criticize the model as a form of "renting" where access can be revoked or titles deleted from one's library by the platform holder at any time. They further highlighted past incidents, such as the removal of films from the PS Store and the closure of the PS3 store, as evidence of the risks.

They continued, warning of the side effects of platform monopolization: "This decision goes beyond limiting user choice; it threatens the livelihoods of thousands of people and small business owners in distribution, manufacturing, logistics, the second-hand market, and the collecting and preservation community."

Petitioners and community members alike emphasized that "it is crucial that physical games survive until digital ownership issues are adequately resolved," and added, "I have collected PS5 games physically, but if I cannot play what I have purchased starting from the PS6, I cannot support SIE’s policy. This is simply not consumer-friendly."

They are demanding that Sony reconsider its policy to maintain a disc-based ecosystem beyond 2028, ensuring that the next generation of gamers can truly own their games rather than merely holding a digital rental license.