A petition demanding Sony reverse its plan to stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games has passed 100,000 signatures within four days of launching, and now sits above 105,000.
- The ‘Don’t Kill the Disc’ petition was started on 1 July 2026 by Jade Pearce, CEO of Canadian retailer PNP Games, in direct response to Sony’s January 2028 disc cut-off.
- The petition argues a disc is a game you own and can lend, resell or pass down, while a code-in-a-box is a revocable digital licence.
- Sony has not responded publicly, and campaigners themselves admit the decision was likely months in the making and may not be reversed.
The petition was created on 1 July 2026 by Jade Pearce, CEO of Canadian retailer PNP Games, hours after PlayStation confirmed the disc cut-off and promptly went quiet on social media. Under Sony’s plan, new PlayStation games from 2028 onwards will be sold digitally or as boxes containing only a download code.
The petition’s argument: ownership, not nostalgia
The petition’s core case is blunt. A disc, it argues, is a real game you own: you can lend it, trade it, resell it, gift it, collect it, or pass it down. A box with only a download code is framed as “a digital license in plastic packaging” — access that can be revoked, with the petition pointing to purchased films being deleted from libraries and games pulled from sale weeks after launch.
It also widens the argument beyond preservation. Physical media supports retailers, distributors and logistics businesses, so ending it threatens jobs across the industry, not just collectors’ shelves. Notably, the petition says signatories are not necessarily against digital as a choice; they object to having that choice made for them. Campaigners have also dug up Sony’s 2013 promise that players would be able to keep their games “forever”, which sits awkwardly next to a future built on licences that can be altered or withdrawn.
Will Sony actually budge?
Probably not on the headline decision. Even the petition’s organisers acknowledge this was likely planned over months, and Sony would have braced for the backlash before announcing. Over 90 per cent of IGN’s audience say they do not want an all-digital future, yet a U-turn still looks unlikely.
That said, mass signatures are not entirely symbolic. Sony has already clarified that older PlayStation games can still get new print runs after 2028, which suggests the company is at least listening to the temperature of the room. The realistic goal for campaigners is influencing how the digital-only shift is implemented — on pricing, refunds and licence terms — rather than stopping it outright. Meanwhile, competitors have noticed the mood: Xbox is now using Halo: Campaign Evolved’s physical disc as a selling point.
FAQ
What is the ‘Don’t Kill the Disc’ petition?
It is a Change.org petition started on 1 July 2026 by Jade Pearce, CEO of Canadian retailer PNP Games, demanding Sony reverse its plan to end physical disc production for new PlayStation games from January 2028. It passed 100,000 signatures in four days.
Will existing PlayStation discs stop working in 2028?
No. Sony’s announcement only covers new games from January 2028 onwards, which will be sold digitally or as code-in-box. Existing disc libraries should remain usable on supported hardware, and Sony has clarified older games can still get new print runs.
Has Sony responded to the petition?
Not directly. PlayStation has stayed quiet on social media since the announcement, and campaigners acknowledge the decision was likely planned for months, though they hope mass signatures will influence how Sony implements its digital-only strategy.
