Gamers are threatening a boycott of PlayStation next month over Sony's decision to cease production of physical game discs by 2028 and its practice of deleting purchased digital content. The planned protest, dubbed the "PlayStation blackout," aims to discourage all PlayStation activity during the last week of August — including playing, buying, and logging in.
Why the Outrage?
While most gamers now buy games digitally, many still value physical copies because they can be resold, lent, or kept as collectibles. Digital purchases, by contrast, are locked to the user's account, with pricing controlled by Sony, and can even be removed entirely. In September, Sony will delete 551 movies and TV shows from the UK PlayStation store — including the John Wick franchise, Paddington, and Terminator 2 — because a content licensing agreement with StudioCanal has expired. Customers who bought those titles will lose access.
The Boycott Call
Organizers have asked gamers to avoid using their PlayStation consoles entirely during the final week of August. The timing is deliberate: during the summer holidays, when kids are out of school and typically play more. The boycott is intended to send a message to Sony that console owners feel taken for granted and want to ensure that physical ownership remains an option.
Only seven PS5 games have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in the US this year, indicating a strong shift to digital. Nevertheless, advocates argue that the right to own a tangible copy is worth fighting for — even if it means a week without gaming.
