Hideo Kojima and more are furious about Sony’s decision to stop making PlayStation games available as a physical product.

Last week, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that from January 2028, they would no longer be making physical games. 

“As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028,” they explained in a short blog post, with fans only able to buy digital editions of games going forward. “This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today,” they added.

However the news has been met with widespread anger, with fans worried about ownership (just last week, Sony removed more than 500 movies from player’s library due to a rights agreement ending) and affordability.

Hideo Kojima said the announcement was “really sad” (via Eurogamer). He went on to warn that because of how things can change with “nations, politics and various ways of thinking,” some titles may stop being distributed and downloads coule be removed from player’s libraries. “If that happens you won’t be able to watch or play the games you like. That is what is frightening.”

A petition asking Sony not to “kill the disc” already has more than 165,00 signatures. “A disc is a real game you own. You can lend it, trade it, resell it, gift it, collect it, or pass it down to your kids. A box with only a download code is not the same thing. It is a digital license in plastic packaging. You do not own it. You are renting access that can be revoked, and people have already had purchased movies deleted from their libraries and games pulled from sale weeks after launch,” organisers explained.

Meanwhile, Sony hasn’t posted on social media since the announcement and their YouTube channel is being flooded with comments about the news. “If buying isn’t owning, then pirating isn’t stealing, WE WANT OUR DISCS,” wrote one fan. “No rest until they reverse their insanely poor decision,” said another. 

In other news, EA Sports FC has launched a new ‘Ultimate’ playlist featuring English FIFA anthems to celebrate their World Cup success.

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