Sony’s Plan to Kill Physical Discs Ignites the #PSBlackout Campaign by Fans

Sony’s decision to move from PlayStation physical disc has reignited frustration among its most dedicated fans. Not only fans are protesting and urging fellow players to cancel their PlayStation Plus subscription, but over 3,50,000 unhappy PlayStation fans have signed a petition that urges Sony to not kill discs. As of now, Sony hasn’t issued any public statement regarding the backlash. But, it seems PS fans have had enough, and have now organized a week-long #PSBlackout campaign to send Sony a message.

#PSBlackout campaign aims to hit engagement, not developers

The campaign is scheduled to run from August 23 at 7:00 p.m. local time through August 30 at 7:00 p.m. local time. Organizers are asking PlayStation players to stay offline, avoid PlayStation Store purchases, and even leave their consoles switched off for seven days.

Supporters argue the plan to scrap discs weakens game ownership, limits resale options, and creates new challenges for long-term preservation. That being said, the campaign goes well beyond physical media. The statement shared by preservation group Does It Play points to several long-running concerns, including PlayStation’s live-service push, canceled fan events, the closure of Japan Studio, and the lack of new entries for franchises such as SOCOM, Resistance, Sly Cooper, and Twisted Metal.

The organizers describe the disc announcement as the tipping point rather than the entire problem. They believe Sony has gradually become disconnected from the community that helped build the PlayStation brand.

As of now, Sony has not responded to the #PSBlackout campaign itself. That said, the company has previously maintained that its move away from physical discs is the continued growth of digital game purchases.