Sony Hasn't Said a Word in 5 Days as "Don't Kill the Disc" Petition Hits 120,000 Signatures. Sony announced last week it will stop producing physical PlayStation discs in January 2028, effectively making the PS6 a digital-only machine. Five days later, the company hasn't issued a single public response, while a petition opposing the decision has exploded from 12,000 to more than 120,000 signatures.
The "Don't Kill the Disc" campaign, launched by Canadian retailer PNP Games on Change.org, crossed 120,000 verified signatures today. Created by PNP Games CEO Jade Pearce, the petition argues that an all-digital PlayStation would eliminate thousands of jobs across retail, distribution, and manufacturing while handing platform holders total control over game access.
"We are not against digital. We are against digital being the only option," the petition reads.
"A large and passionate community still wants a real, physical game they own outright, and Sony is about to take that choice away." The backlash has broken out of gaming circles into mainstream culture. Sony's original announcement post has been viewed more than 100 million times, with a community note flagging that digital purchases don't confer actual ownership.
KFC, Domino's, and celebrity comedians have piled on with jokes. An IGN poll asking whether players support an all-digital future shows a resounding majority against Sony's plan.
Sony's social media accounts have gone dark for five days. Even posts about unrelated topics like Spider-Man: Brand New Day are being flooded with disc-related comments.
Industry watcher @Zuby_Tech noted that the announcement is likely PlayStation's most-viewed tweet ever, adding: "Over The Past Few Years, They've Chosen To Stay Silent On Major Controversies, But This Time, They Simply Can't Afford To."
Sony framed the decision as a response to consumer behavior. Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Content Communications at Sony Interactive Entertainment, said the company is adapting to "the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs." Data from Ampere backs that up: digital full-game purchases on Sony consoles climbed from 13% in 2013 (PS4 launch) to nearly 80% by 2025.
But the economics also favor the move. Selling games digitally cuts out manufacturing, shipping, and retailer margins, costs that can exceed 20% of a game's sticker price.
Sony takes a 30% cut of PlayStation Store sales. Piers Harding-Rolls, an Ampere analyst, noted that "physical product has been declining in importance" but acknowledged that "inevitably there will be concerns from PlayStation gamers around choice, accessing older physical games on new consoles, and game preservation."
Petition signers aren't mincing words. "Without a physical media, I just won't buy another console," wrote one user named Nelson Ricardo.
Another player named Tony said he bought a PS5 on day one and purchases most of his games physically, but "will not be purchasing a PlayStation 6 if physical games are discontinued." The PS6 is reportedly deep in development with no disc drive planned, and analysts expect a late 2028 launch. Grand Theft Auto 6 is already shipping as a code-in-a-box on PlayStation, with no playable disc, a preview of what's coming even before the 2028 cutoff.
Sony has reversed unpopular decisions before. In 2021, it delayed plans to shut down the PS3 PlayStation Store after fan backlash.
But analysts say this time is different. Robin Zhu, a games analyst at Bernstein, told the Financial Times that fans of physical media "had their chance and blew it," pointing to the digital sales ratios that justify Sony's decision.
Sony's share price rose following the announcement, signaling market approval. For now. The company is offering no response at all, and 120,000 signatures haven't changed that.
