Sony has begun adding warning labels to PlayStation 5 console boxes, informing customers that from January 2028, newly released games will be available only in digital format. The move comes as politicians in Mexico, France, and Brazil criticise the company's decision to abandon physical media, with one Mexican senator accusing Sony of offering customers 'tenant rights' instead of ownership.
Warning labels spotted on new PS5 boxes
The labels were first spotted by Twitter user BehindTGames, who shared a photo of a PS5 box received from someone else. The box features a large black label with 'Important Notice' written in all caps, repeating the information Sony shared on the PlayStation Blog last month. The label reads: 'From Jan. 2028, newly released games on PlayStation will be available for purchase on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital format only. Discs for games released before Jan. 2028 can continue to be played on this console.'
This appears to be Sony's way of covering itself, ensuring that customers cannot claim they were unaware of the company's plans when purchasing a new console. The label also lends credence to speculation that the PlayStation 6 will be a purely digital console, though Sony could offer a disc drive add-on, similar to the digital edition of the PS5.
Political pushback intensifies
Mexican senator Luis Donaldo Colosio and lawmaker Iraís Reyes have filed a complaint against Sony with Mexico's antitrust authority, arguing that the company is forcing customers into a rental model. In an Instagram post, Colosio wrote: 'Starting in 2028, PlayStation will stop releasing games on physical media. Their digital store will become the sole distribution channel in Mexico: with prices and terms dictated exclusively by Sony, without any possibility of reselling, lending, or trading. And what you buy digital isn't yours, it's a license that can be taken away from you. … You pay owner price. They give you tenant rights.'
In France, presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticised Sony's plans on X, saying: 'With GTA 6 without a disc in 2026 and Sony's announcement of the end of physical disc sales for games in 2028, the question arises of how we view these products.' He added: 'With the end of physical games, the video game industry wants to impose a fully digital model on us, where access will be conditional and time limited. The buyer's rights will be denied. This is the triumph of total commodification: you pay full price for nothing more than a simple revocable right of access. Let's not let them confiscate our cultural heritage. Let's take back control!'
Brazilian deputy calls for investigation
In Brazil, federal deputy Erika Hilton has pushed for an investigation into Sony, arguing that the decision could violate the country's Consumer Protection Code by restricting consumers' rights. Speaking to Voxel, Hilton said: 'The end of physical game media is a trend we need to defeat. This represents the end of the lending culture, the used games market, and real game ownership by players. This is the gateway to new monopolistic practices by console manufacturers and increasingly expensive and abusive subscription services.'
EU declines to challenge Sony
However, the European Union has no intention of challenging Sony. Michael McGrath, the EU commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule Of Law, and Consumer Protection, said Sony is free to sell its games however it wants as long as 'consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law.'
Sony has already converted its primary disc manufacturing factory to produce other goods, and despite the backlash, the company remains committed to its all-digital future. The financial losses would have to be catastrophic for Sony to reconsider, but the growing political opposition could signal a shift in how governments view digital ownership.
For now, gamers are left with the choice of either accepting the digital-only future or championing for improved digital ownership rights, as digital purchases are often merely licences that can be revoked, as seen with movies removed from digital libraries without refunds.
