Gamers are planning a boycott of PlayStation next month to protest Sony's decision to stop producing physical copies of PlayStation games by 2028. The protest, dubbed the 'PlayStation blackout,' calls for users to refrain from playing, buying, or logging into their PlayStation consoles during the last week of August.
Why the boycott?
The primary grievance is Sony's shift towards a digital-only future, which critics argue erodes consumer ownership. Currently, most gamers purchase games digitally, with only seven PS5 titles selling more than 100,000 physical copies in the US this year. However, physical discs allow users to sell, lend, or keep games as mementos, whereas digital purchases are locked to accounts and subject to Sony's control over pricing and availability.
A key trigger for the boycott is Sony's plan to delete 551 movies and TV shows from the UK PlayStation store in September, including popular titles like the John Wick franchise, Paddington, and Terminator 2, due to an expired content licensing agreement with StudioCanal. Customers who bought these titles will lose access to them entirely.
Consumer rights at stake
Protesters argue that digital ownership is illusory. 'Being a console owner in 2026 is like being repeatedly mugged by a large multinational corporation,' one gamer stated. The boycott aims to demonstrate that consumers still matter and to push back against what they see as corporate overreach.
Despite the digital trend, many gamers still value physical media. The ability to hold a copy of a game like John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is seen as a fundamental right. The boycott seeks to preserve that option for future generations.
Will the boycott work?
It remains uncertain whether the boycott will gain traction, especially during the summer holidays when gaming is popular. However, organizers hope that collective action will send a strong message to Sony about the importance of physical media and consumer choice.
