PlayStation Responds To Fan Backlash Over The End Of Physical Discs

Sony has acknowledged the backlash surrounding its decision to discontinue PlayStation discs, but the criticism has not changed its plans.

Sony Says The Backlash Has Had No Business Impact

PlayStation fans have been vocal about Sony moving away from physical discs, particularly because of the implications for game ownership, preservation, and collecting. However, the company does not believe that reaction is translating into meaningful commercial damage.

During Sony’s Q1 2026 earnings call, when asked about the effect on users and sales due to the announcement of ending physical disc production by 2028, here is what Sony CFO Tin Lao had to say:

 At this point in time, well, we are not seeing any impact on our business as of now. But going forward, about the content sales, I think large part is already digitized. And therefore, as a result of the discontinuation of a disk, we don’t see that there will be any negative impact on our business. 

In practical terms, Sony has heard the complaints. It simply does not see them as a reason to reverse course.

PlayStation Is Pressing Ahead Despite Fan Concerns

In another question, when asked about the reasoning behind the decision to end disc production, the Sony CFO responded:

There are various reasons we made this decision. The biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing. That’s the big factor. It’s not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalization is progressing. And so when we think about the future, and we put in a lot of thought and time and we cautiously considered this, and we came to this conclusion, and we’re going to cautiously move this forward.

Sony is aware of the backlash to their decision, but due to business reasons they won’t be reversing their decision. Just this year, only 7 physical games sold 100k copies in the US, which is pretty in line with Lin Tao’s reasoning.

Digital releases are undeniably convenient, but they can also lead to store monopoly and Sony’s authority to revoke digital licenses. Once physical options disappear, consumers lose flexibility even if most purchases have already shifted online.

Unless player behavior begins matching the intensity of the criticism, Sony has little commercial incentive to change direction.