Sony has confirmed it will not reverse its decision to end physical disc production for PlayStation games. CFO Lin Tao addressed the backlash directly during Sony’s FY2026 Q1 earnings call on July 31, 2026, saying the company will “cautiously move forward” with the plan despite weeks of fan protests and online petitions.
Here’s what Sony said, why it’s sticking to a digital-first strategy, and how fans are responding.
PlayStation Disc Production End Confirmed by Sony CFO
Sony announced in June 2026 that it would stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028. The company stayed quiet on the growing backlash for weeks. That changed on July 31, when Lin Tao addressed it directly during the earnings call.
“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,” Tao said. She added that Sony “cautiously considered” the move before reaching its conclusion.
Tao acknowledged the strong reaction from the community. “We understand that the community has put forth those views to us,” she said, adding that Sony recognizes the emotional connection gamers have to physical games and wants to explore new ways to engage them in a digital-only future.
Why Sony Is Moving Away From Physical Discs
The shift comes down to revenue. Physical software made up just 3% of Sony’s Game & Network Services revenue in its FY2024 report, with digital sales accounting for the rest.
Digital sales are also more profitable for Sony. The company keeps 100% of revenue from first-party digital sales through the PlayStation Store, compared to around 65% from physical copies after retailer cuts and production costs. For third-party games, Sony still takes a 30% cut of every digital sale.
Sony’s user base makes the math easier to justify. The company reported over 125 million active PlayStation users as of March 31, 2026, along with roughly 50 million PS Plus subscribers. Even a protest involving 500,000 subscription cancellations would represent only around 1% of that user base.
Fan Backlash and the Push to Save Physical Discs
The backlash hasn’t slowed down. A petition started by PNP Games CEO Jade Pearce had reached 352,708 signatures as of July 31, 2026. The petition argues that physical discs offer real ownership, letting players lend, resell, or pass down their games.
Critics have also raised preservation concerns, pointing out that digital licenses can be revoked and there’s no guarantee downloads will remain accessible for decades. Some fans have organized a voluntary protest called the PlayStation Blackout, planned for August 2026, to pressure Sony into reconsidering.
The decision suggests the PlayStation 6 could become Sony’s first home console without a disc drive, ending a tradition that started with the original PlayStation in 1994. Some fans have said they’re reconsidering whether to buy a PS6 at all, with a few looking at PC gaming or sticking with their current consoles instead.
For now, Sony’s plan to end physical disc production in January 2028 remains unchanged, and the company has not indicated that further backlash will change that.
