Petition seeks to save video game discs from PlayStation's transition
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For some on the gaming side, so do video games.
A recent petition says more than 278,000 respondents want PlayStation games released on physical discs beyond January 2028.
“We are not against digital. We are against digital being the only option,” Jade Pearce wrote in the Change.org petition.
“That’s the line we’re asking Sony not to cross. If we do not speak up now, the disc disappears, and the choice goes with it.”
Shift away from physical discs
Pearce’s reaction came after PlayStation announced a shift away from physical discs on Canada Day.
“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,” the Sony release on July 1 said. “Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.”
The petition surpassed 250,000 signatures in just over a week and has generated more than 11,000 supporter voices.
In an update, Pearce noted that more than 10,000 supporters had left comments or videos explaining why the issue matters to them.
“This was never about one store or one console,” Pearce wrote to supporters. “It’s about whether you own what you pay for.”
A world without games
The petition argues that physical games allow consumers to lend, trade, re-sell, gift, collect and preserve the games they purchase.
The campaign raises concerns about an all-digital future and what effect that scenario could have on the physical video game industry for retailers, distributors, manufacturers, the pre-owned market and game collectors.
And while all the listed concerns may hold water with petition enthusiasts, Sony doesn’t agree. Pearce is the owner of Winnipeg-based PNP Games Inc.
“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,” Sony said. “This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”
Pearce believes otherwise.
“A disc is a real game you own,” he countered in the petition. “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.”
As of Friday afternoon, more than 278,500 people have supported the petition.