The EU has confirmed it cannot force Sony to keep selling PlayStation games on disc, calling the move to digital-only releases from January 2028 a lawful commercial decision as long as consumer rights are protected.
- Ireland’s EU Commissioner for consumer protection, Michael McGrath, said companies are free to offer games and services ‘in the manner that they see fit’.
- The Stop Killing Games campaign also hit a wall last month, with the European Commission saying IP law prevents it from requiring games to stay playable after they stop being sold.
- Analysts say the backlash, including a petition nearing 300,000 signatures and cancelled PS Plus subscriptions, will not change Sony’s mind.
- Disc-based PS5 games released before January 2028, including God of War Laufey and Marvel’s Wolverine, will still work and can still get new print runs.
If you were holding out hope that European regulators would ride in and block Sony’s plan to end physical PlayStation discs, this is the week that hope officially expired. Ireland’s EU Commissioner for consumer protection, Michael McGrath, has said the EU is powerless to intervene, and his reasoning is blunt: this is a commercial decision, not a consumer rights violation.
What the EU actually said
As reported by the Irish Mirror and picked up by IGN, McGrath framed Sony’s move as a matter of commercial and contractual freedom. “Companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit, provided that consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law,” he said.
That answer lands on top of another recent setback for preservation advocates. The Stop Killing Games campaign had pushed for EU rules requiring games to remain playable after they stop being sold commercially, but last month the European Commission said it cannot create that legal obligation because rights holders enjoy exclusive control over their creations under EU copyright law. The Commission’s consolation prize is a promise to work with the games industry and consumer groups on a voluntary code of conduct for managing games’ end of life. Voluntary being the operative word.
So the EU, historically the regulator most willing to make big tech squirm, has looked at the disc question and shrugged. If Brussels won’t act, no other regulator is likely to either.
Why Sony won’t budge
The backlash has been loud. A petition urging Sony to reconsider passed 100,000 signatures in four days and is now approaching 300,000, while PS5 owners have been sharing screenshots of cancelled PS Plus subscriptions across social media. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, told IGN it won’t matter: even half a million cancelled subscriptions would be “a drop in the ocean” for Sony, which he says anticipated the outrage and is simply waiting for the storm to pass.
The maths explains the stubbornness. Here’s roughly how the money splits on a game sale, per IGN’s reporting:
| Sale type | Physical disc | Digital download |
|---|---|---|
| First-party game (e.g. The Last of Us) | Sony keeps ~65% (retailer takes ~30%, manufacturing ~5%) | Sony keeps 100% |
| Third-party game (e.g. Call of Duty) | Sony gets a licensing fee of ~15% | Sony keeps a 30% cut (~$21 on a $70 game) |
Doubling your take on every third-party sale and pocketing the full price on your own games is not a decision a company reverses over a petition. That’s also why over 90% of IGN’s audience rejecting an all-digital future hasn’t moved the needle either.
FAQ
Can the EU stop Sony from ending physical PlayStation discs?
No. Ireland’s EU Commissioner for consumer protection, Michael McGrath, said the EU cannot intervene because the move falls under commercial and contractual freedom, provided consumer rights are protected under EU and national law.
When does Sony stop releasing PlayStation games on disc?
All new PS5 games launching from January 2028 onwards will be digital-only. Retail boxes after that date are expected to contain download codes rather than discs, and the approach is expected to continue on the PS6.
Will my existing PS5 discs still work after 2028?
Yes. Disc-based games released before January 2028 remain playable, and Sony has clarified that older PlayStation games can still receive new print runs after the cut-off.
Which upcoming PlayStation games will still get disc releases?
Santa Monica Studio has confirmed God of War Laufey will be available on disc, suggesting a 2027 launch, and Insomniac has confirmed Marvel’s Wolverine will also be released on disc.
