PlayStation owners are being urged to switch off their consoles for a full week starting Sunday, August 23, 2026, in protest against Sony's decision to stop producing physical game discs after 2027. The boycott, organised by the X account DoesItPlay1, runs until Sunday, August 30, and calls on players to avoid logging in, playing, or purchasing anything on PlayStation during that period.
Protest details and demands
The call to action follows widespread anger over Sony's announcement, which has already sparked online petitions and concerns about the future of retail stores. The protest is designed to hurt PlayStation's active players metric, though organisers acknowledge it will take a huge amount of disruption to catch Sony's attention.
A post from DoesItPlay1 reads: 'No logins, no playing, no purchasing on PlayStation. This one week is the minimum requirement. If you can, start early, go longer.' The post adds: 'Let Sony know how important physical media is. Don't accept all-digital without customer rights!'
Reception and Sony's response
The reminder post has generated 1,800 shares and 5,700 likes on X, which organisers admit is a drop in the ocean compared to the millions of people who own a PlayStation console. In its recent financial report, Sony said it hasn't seen 'any impact' on its business since announcing the decision to stop making physical discs.
'We don't see that there will be any negative impact on our business,' Sony CFO Lin Tao added. While Sony may not believe in the blackout's chances, the more players that join in, the greater the chance of proving them wrong – though participants will miss out on the Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, and Star Wars Zero Company, all due around the same time.
