Sony's move away from physical discs sparks PS Plus cancellations, $150 million lawsuit

Sony's decision to cease production of physical discs for new PlayStation games from January 2028 has ignited a firestorm of player protest. The move has even drawn regret from renowned game producer Hideo Kojima, highlighting the significant impact on the gaming community.

In response, players have initiated online petitions urging Sony to reverse its decision. Simultaneously, a substantial wave of PlayStation Plus subscriptions have been canceled, and some disgruntled gamers have declared their intention to boycott the upcoming PlayStation 6 console. Sony has remained largely silent on the matter, offering no further public comment.

Adding to Sony's pressure, the company is already entangled in legal battles concerning alleged monopolistic practices on the PlayStation Store in multiple countries. A Dutch consumer organization, Stichting Massaschade & Consument, filed a class-action lawsuit in 2025, accusing Sony of exploiting its market dominance to inflate game prices. The organization argues that eliminating physical discs and the subsequent loss of the used game market will leave players with no alternative but to purchase games exclusively through the PlayStation Store, granting Sony complete control over pricing and potentially game access duration.

This consumer group represents approximately 1.7 million Dutch players and is seeking over 400 million Euros (about $14.7 billion NTD) in damages. The recent announcement to discontinue physical game discs is seen as a move that further strengthens their legal arguments.