The backlash is already easy to spot on Reddit and across other social platforms. A lot of fans are calling the move anti-consumer, and the argument is pretty simple: digital purchases leave players with less control and give Sony more of it. If you like being able to resell, lend out, trade in, or just keep your PlayStation games without having to think about account access, server shutdowns, or shifting license terms, discs still matter.
Sony is putting an end to physical PlayStation games, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the ESA doesn't really have anything to say about it. https://t.co/r5CdYCSS8X
Critics also say digital ownership doesn’t feel much like ownership at all. It feels closer to a long-term rental that lasts only as long as Sony’s ecosystem does. That anxiety got worse after Sony removed about 500 purchased movie and TV titles when its StudioCanal deal expired, which led to fresh calls for clearer protections, and even for laws that spell out what you actually own when you click Buy Now.
Sony is also dealing with a California class action over that exact wording, with the case arguing that buyers receive a license, not ownership. On top of that, there’s a separate UK case, worth about £2.7bn, over alleged anti-competitive pricing on digital sales.
For now, you can still buy current PlayStation games on disc. But after Sony backed off its Helldivers 2 PSN-linking requirement for PC players, after the criticism and review bombing, fans clearly believe public pressure can still change things before 2028.
{
"de-DE": "Ich bin Journalist mit über 30 Jahren Erfahrung in Videospielen und Technologie. Obwohl Videospiele schon immer mein Fachgebiet waren, habe ich begonnen, auch die komplexen Strukturen von Projektmanagement-Tools wie Asana sowie die Automatisierungen mit Make.com und N8N zu entdecken und zu genießen.",
"en-US": "I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in video games and technology. Although my specialty has always been video games, I’ve recently started enjoying exploring the intricacies of project-management tools like Asana, as well as automations with Make.com and N8N.",
"es-ES": "Soy periodista con más de 30 años de experiencia en videojuegos y tecnología. Aunque mi especialidad siempre ha sido el videojuego, he empezado a disfrutar también de descubrir los laberintos de los programas de project management como Asana y las automatizaciones de make.com y de N8N",
"fr-FR": "Je suis journaliste avec plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans le jeu vidéo et la technologie. Bien que ma spécialité ait toujours été le jeu vidéo, j’ai commencé à prendre plaisir à explorer également les méandres des outils de gestion de projet comme Asana, ainsi que les automatisations avec Make.com et N8N.",
"it-IT": "Sono un giornalista con oltre 30 anni di esperienza nei videogiochi e nella tecnologia. Anche se la mia specialità è sempre stata il videogame, ho iniziato a divertirmi anche a scoprire i meccanismi degli strumenti di project management come Asana e delle automazioni con Make.com e N8N.",
"ja-JP": "",
"nl-NL": "Ik ben een journalist met meer dan 30 jaar ervaring in videogames en technologie. Hoewel videogames altijd mijn specialiteit zijn geweest, ben ik ook begonnen te genieten van het verkennen van de ingewikkelde wereld van projectmanagementtools zoals Asana en van automatiseringen met Make.com en N8N.",
"pl-PL": "Jestem dziennikarzem z ponad 30-letnim doświadczeniem w grach wideo i technologii. Choć moją specjalizacją zawsze były gry wideo, ostatnio zacząłem również czerpać przyjemność z odkrywania zawiłości narzędzi do zarządzania projektami, takich jak Asana, oraz automatyzacji w Make.com i N8N.",
"pt-BR": "Sou jornalista com mais de 30 anos de experiência em videogames e tecnologia. Embora meu foco sempre tenha sido os videogames, recentemente passei a gostar de explorar também os labirintos de ferramentas de gestão de projetos como o Asana e das automações com Make.com e N8N.",
"social": {
"email": "jesus.bosque@softonic.com",
"facebook": "",
"twitter": "",
"linkedin": ""
}
}
View all posts by Jesús Bosque
