PS5 Owners Start Boycott Over Sony’s Plan to End Physical Discs

A group of PlayStation fans has initiated a week-long boycott against Sony's gaming platform in response to the company's decision to discontinue physical discs. This protest has garnered some criticism from gamers, who suggest that simply staying offline may not be enough to influence Sony's decision. The PSBlackout campaign commenced on August 23 and is set to conclude on August 30.

Participants are urged to refrain from logging into PlayStation Network, playing games, making purchases, or engaging with PlayStation services during the protest period. The campaign stems from Sony's announcement to cease producing physical game discs for new PlayStation releases starting in 2028. This move has upset players who prefer purchasing and owning physical copies of games over digital downloads.

Supporters argue that a coordinated reduction in PlayStation activity could send a more potent message than mere social-media criticism. The boycott was promoted as a seven-day blackout, with supporters encouraged to switch off their consoles or stay offline while avoiding purchases. The backlash over physical media has also extended to individual game announcements, with PlayStation-related trailers and social-media posts flooded with complaints from users opposing the shift away from discs.

Despite the trailers and posts not directly causing Sony's new plan, the recent Phantom Blade Zero showcase received repeated criticism over the issue. Sony has not shown any indication of reversing its plans and has suggested that it does not anticipate the move away from physical media to significantly impact its business. For now, the #PSBlackout stands as one of the most prominent organized protests against Sony's evolving PlayStation strategy, but its actual impact on the company remains uncertain.