A petition against Sony's decision to cease publishing physical copies of PlayStation games after January 2028 has garnered over 136,000 signatures as of July 6, 2026. The 'Don't Kill the Disc' petition, launched on July 2 by Jade Pearce, CEO of second-hand game trading company PNP Games, quickly gained traction, reaching 40,000 signatures within three days and 100,000 by July 5.
Petition's Core Arguments
The petition argues that physical discs represent true ownership, allowing users to lend, trade, resell, gift, collect, or pass down games. In contrast, digital licenses are described as 'renting access that can be revoked,' citing examples of purchased movies being deleted from libraries and games pulled from sale shortly after launch. Pearce clarified that the petition 'is not against digital' but against 'digital being the only option,' emphasizing that a large community still wants physical games.
Sony's Stance and Industry Impact
Despite the petition's momentum, Sony appears unlikely to reverse its decision. The disc production plant in Austria has already begun restructuring to accommodate reduced production orders. The move is widely interpreted as a precursor to the PlayStation 6, which may lack a disc drive entirely. Similarly, Xbox's Project Helix is rumored to be exploring digitization of existing physical collections. Sony has confirmed that new physical runs of games released before the 2028 cutoff will still be possible, but brand new titles after that date will not be eligible.
Community and Industry Reaction
The decision has sparked significant backlash within the gaming community, even though over 85% of Sony's game sales in the last financial quarter were digital. The Video Game History Foundation criticized the move on BlueSky, stating: 'This is unfortunate news for those of us who still prefer buying games on physical media, and it is certainly a hit to consumer rights, the resale market, and game creators whose businesses rely on the physical market.'
