- Sony announced the discontinuation of physical disc production for PlayStation games starting in January 2028 on July 1.
- A Change.org petition opposing this decision has gathered over 335,000 signatures.
- Gamers are planning a week-long blackout protest from August 23 to 30, urging players to stop using their consoles and making purchases.
- Skeptics question the protest's effectiveness, noting that it may not impact Sony significantly due to the low participation relative to the PlayStation Network's user base.
- Digital purchases now account for the overwhelming majority of sales on PlayStation platforms, with physical sales representing only 15% of the volume.
- Recent estimates indicate that the PlayStation Network has more than 120 million users.
- The petition's signatures represent just 0.2% of PSN users, raising doubts about the protest's potential impact.
- The protest coincides with several major regional PS Store sales events.
PlayStation fans are rallying for a week-long blackout protest from August 23 to 30, urging players to log out and refrain from purchases in response to Sony's announcement to cease physical disc production by 2028. The grassroots campaign, dubbed #PSBlackout, aims to send a message to the gaming giant.13
Organizers emphasize that the protest is a reaction to Sony's July 1 decision, which they believe distances the company from its fan base. “We are calling on PlayStation players to participate in an economic and gameplay blackout,” they stated, encouraging players to power down their consoles for the week.
However, skeptics argue that the protest may not significantly impact Sony. “First, Sony Interactive Entertainment won’t suffer from a few thousand players switching off their consoles for a week in late August,” one analyst noted, suggesting that the company could even “benefit” from reduced network usage.4
With over 120 million users on the PlayStation Network, the protest's effectiveness is questioned, especially since digital purchases account for the overwhelming majority of sales. Recent statistics reveal that physical software represented just 3% of Sony's total gaming revenue in the last fiscal year. Despite a petition gathering over 335,000 signatures, this only constitutes 0.2% of PSN users, raising doubts about the protest's potential impact.2567
The protest coincides with major PS Store sales events, which could further dilute its effectiveness.8
“The Change.org petition against the disc cutoff has gathered 335,000 signatures — just 0.2% of the PSN's 120 million users. Meanwhile, digital purchases account for 97% of Sony's gaming revenue, meaning a week of no physical sales may have little financial bite.”
Insider Gaming
Shane the Gamer
