Not content to let Xbox get all the bad publicity, PlayStation is currently in the midst of a public relations nightmare following the announcement that the console maker will end support for physical discs from 2028.
Following the controversial announcement, PlayStation's social media accounts went silent for six days. The brand's first post “back” was the announcement of a new piece of hardware, the FlexStrike Wireless fight stick.
The fans did not forget the discussion
Unfortunately for fight stick fans, the replies and reposts are dominated by people unhappy with PlayStation's decision to end physical support. The post has 31,000 comments and 8,900 reposts, but only 4,800 likes on X. People have taken note of the ratio, which usually indicates negative sentiment.
“I don't understand, this is a physical product? How do I download it?” jokes one of the reposts. “By no means is this the first tweet PlayStation has put out in 6 days,” reads another.
Disgruntled PlayStation fans are making an organized and concerted effort to create this feature, ensuring that Sony cannot ignore their anger at the forced obsolescence of physical media.
In fact, an online petition asking Sony to reconsider its stance has reached 120,000 signatures. Several figures also spoke out against the decision, including Hideo Kojima, former PlayStation director Shawn Leyden, and even prominent French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
PlayStation's only justification for this decision is “consumer trends”, i.e. since most people buy games digitally, there is no longer a need to physically produce them. Taking away physical discs has no benefits for the consumer, and we've already seen how heavy-handed Sony can be about digital access, especially when it comes to region locks and such.
A petition to stop the disposal of physical PlayStation games has reached 120,000 signatures
PlayStation is sticking to its plans to ditch the physical stuff, but those against it are trying to fight back.
The decision feels like a thinly veiled attempt to take power away from the consumer. Sony wants to control all aspects of its ecosystem, and selling and reselling physical media is an obstacle to achieving that complete control.
While it's true that most people buy digital games, that's no reason to take away their options. There are also many implications for game retention and digital ownership that suggest it is in the best interest of consumers to own physical copies of their video games.
- Mark
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Sony
- Original release date
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November 12, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$499, €499, £449, ¥49,980 (base) // $399, €399, £359, ¥39,980 (digital),
- Operating system
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OS Orbis
