Sony has begun adding warning labels to PlayStation 5 console boxes, informing customers that from January 2028, newly released games will be digital-only. The move comes as politicians in Mexico, France, and Brazil have publicly criticized the company's decision to phase out physical media.
Warning label details
The label, first spotted by BehindTGames on X, features a black 'Important Notice' sticker on the box of PS5 consoles with a built-in disc drive. It reads: 'From Jan. 2028, newly released games on PlayStation will be available for purchase on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital format only. Discs for games released before Jan. 2028 can continue to be played on this console.'
This appears to be Sony's way of preempting complaints from new buyers who might not have been aware of the company's all-digital future. The wording also fuels speculation that the PlayStation 6 will launch without a disc drive, though Sony could offer an add-on, as it does for the digital PS5.
Political pushback
In Mexico, senator Luis Donaldo Colosio and lawmaker Iraís Reyes have filed a complaint with the country's antitrust authority, arguing that Sony is forcing customers into a rental model rather than true ownership. Colosio wrote on Instagram: 'Starting in 2028, PlayStation will stop releasing games on physical media. Their digital store will become the sole distribution channel in Mexico: with prices and terms dictated exclusively by Sony, without any possibility of reselling, lending, or trading. And what you buy digital isn't yours, it's a license that can be taken away from you. … You pay owner price. They give you tenant rights.'
In France, presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized the plan on X, stating: 'With GTA 6 without a disc in 2026 and Sony's announcement of the end of physical disc sales for games in 2028, the question arises of how we view these products.' He added: 'With the end of physical games, the video game industry wants to impose a fully digital model on us, where access will be conditional and time limited. The buyer's rights will be denied. This is the triumph of total commodification: you pay full price for nothing more than a simple revocable right of access. Let's not let them confiscate our cultural heritage. Let's take back control!'
Brazil and EU response
Brazilian federal deputy Erika Hilton has pushed for an investigation into Sony, arguing that the decision could violate the country's Consumer Protection Code by restricting consumer rights. She told Voxel: 'The end of physical game media is a trend we need to defeat. This represents the end of the lending culture, the used games market, and real game ownership by players. This is the gateway to new monopolistic practices by console manufacturers and increasingly expensive and abusive subscription services.'
The European Union, however, has no plans to challenge Sony. Michael McGrath, the EU commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule Of Law, and Consumer Protection, said Sony is free to sell its games as it wishes as long as 'consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law.'
