Sony Not Backing Down From Decision to End Game Discs, Says Will 'Cautiously' Move Forward With Plan

Sony is going to move forward with its plan to end disc production for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles despite severe backlash. The PlayStation parent announced this month it would stop making game discs starting January 2028. The move drew widespread criticism from industry figures, game preservationists, and PlayStation users. Despite the resistance, Sony will “cautiously” press ahead with its plan, the company said in its latest earnings call.

The Japanese company announced its first-quarter FY 2026 financial results on Friday, reporting steady sales and a 37 percent year-over-year increase in operating income for its Games and Network Services business.

During the Q&A section of the earnings call, Sony's chief financial officer Lin Tao addressed the company's decision to end game disc production and criticism from users. The executive, however, more or less confirmed that Sony was not backing down and embracing a “digital ecosystem.”

“There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing. That's the big factor,” Tao said via an interpreter (as reported by Kotaku) during the earnings call. “It's not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalization is progressing.”

“And so, when we think about the future — and we put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this — and we came to this conclusion, and we're going to cautiously move this forward,” the executive said.

Sony Planning for 'Future Digital Ecosystem'

Tao acknowledged the criticism from players, many of whom have been putting pressure on Sony to reverse course. But it seems the company will not reconsider its all-digital PlayStation plan.

“We have received various opinions and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forth those views to us,” Tao said. “Games are loved by many people. It's a form of entertainment that's loved by people, and it's connected to people's fond memories in many cases. So, we understand those emotions. We want to consider that. And in the future digital ecosystem, how do we engage the gamers is something that we would like to continue to explore.”

Sony announced its intention to stop disc production for PlayStation games earlier this month. The company will stop making discs for new games starting January 2028, but it will continue to make discs for older games. In response, PlayStation users have started a petition on Change.org, titled “Don't Kill the Disc.” The petition has over 3,50,000 signatures.

PlayStation users are also holding a boycott, dubbed PlayStation Blackout, urging fans to not use their PlayStation consoles for a week. The boycott, organised by game preservation group DoesItPlay?, will take place from August 23 to August 30.