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On paper, PlayStation is stronger than it’s ever been.
The division is posting record profits, releasing annual Game of the Year contenders, and has all but snuffed out its nearest rival, Xbox.
And yet, I’ve been writing about the world of Sony for almost two decades now, and I don’t think I’ve seen fan enthusiasm in a worse place since the beginning of the PS3.
It’s run out of political capital these past few years, and today’s confirmation that it will cease manufacturing physical games in 2028 is the lowest point yet.
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Looking at the data, I can understand why it’s come to this conclusion: the industry has been increasingly trending digitally for the best part of a decade now, peaking at 85% in the previous quarter.
But the data only gives us a portion of the picture: Sony’s most engaged, loyal enthusiasts love physical media, so I’m not surprised to see a whopping 62% of our readers say they’ll buy fewer PlayStation games as a result of the news today.
Players appreciate ownership; they love the ability to be able to share and re-sell their games. Shuhei Yoshida’s infamous “how to share your games on PS4” video may be over 13 years old at this point, but it taps into a sentiment that hasn’t gone away.
I know the industry’s been heading in this direction with blank Blu-rays and reduced retail runs, but I thought Sony – with its notoriously global audience – would be one of the last to give up on discs.
In fact, if you’d asked me prior to today who out of the console manufacturers was supporting physical media best, I’d have said without any bias Sony.
Nintendo’s been forced to compromise with its Game Key Cards, which haven’t exactly enthused Switch 2 owners (although they look like a better solution than what PlayStation’s planning at this point); Xbox more or less gave up on physical media years ago, and has been shipping unlock keys in plastic cases on the PS5.
Sony, for all its faults, has at least been delivering full games on disc; it even offered a relatively affordable disc drive upgrade for the PS5 Pro. (An imperfect solution for a pricey platform, sure, but a reflection of the times and a solution nonetheless.)
Today’s announcement has understandably angered and agitated an increasingly irate fanbase, then, and I’m not surprised to see many air their disgust online.
Our comments section represents just a fraction of the anger; the PS Blog is a tidal wave of boiling frustration – over 4,500 comments at the time of writing and rising every minute, none of them particularly pleasant.
I think the reaction is well-deserved for this announcement alone, but it caps a torrid generation for Sony that’s seen it burn through all of its goodwill.
Let’s not forget that today’s confirmation comes alongside the closure of the PS3 and PS Vita stores; they’ve lasted 20 years and outlived many of their contemporaries, but it takes some front to close two beloved stores on a day it also confirms an all-digital future.
And it may have gone under the radar, but just this weekend Sony announced it’ll be deleting over 550 movies from the accounts of anyone who bought them. No refund; no recourse – gone, a sign of our deplorably all-digital future.
And this is just the cap on a disappointing generation for PlayStation.
The games have been better than I think some give them credit for, but there’s an understandable sentiment that between its ill-advised live service push and poor management, it’s underdelivered overall.
Sony now finds itself less than 18 months away from a new generation, with its public reputation at an all-time low and an ongoing memory crisis that means its new console is going to cost $1,000 at best.
Where is the appetite for that?
I’m certainly not implying that continuing to ship physical discs would have solved all of its problems – it wouldn’t.
But where’s the rush? Where’s the hurry? If PlayStation’s purpose is to delight its players, then surely it could have found a way to continue shipping physical media for those that still value ownership and preservation?
The unfortunate reality is that PlayStation’s purpose isn’t to delight us at all – it’s to take away choices and restrict us to a storefront it controls.
Maybe it’ll get away with it; maybe it won’t.
On paper, the division’s stronger than it’s ever been – but I don’t see that lasting long at this rate.
How have today’s announcements affected your relationship with PlayStation? Are you angry at the decision, or do you understand it? Let us know below.