Frustration over Sony’s decision to stop releasing physical PlayStation games on disc from 2028 continues to grow. Around a month after the announcement, members of the PlayStation community are now organizing a coordinated protest.
A well-known video game preservation group is encouraging PS5 owners to avoid using their consoles for an entire week in an effort to send Sony a clear message.
Community campaign calls for a PlayStation blackout
The preservation initiative Does it Play?, which has long advocated for game preservation and consumer ownership, has announced a PlayStation Blackout running from August 23 to August 30.
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During that period, supporters are being asked not to sign into PlayStation Network, launch games, or purchase anything from the PlayStation Store.
According to the organizers, the goal is to demonstrate community dissatisfaction with Sony’s current direction and show that players are willing to take collective action.
The campaign quickly gained traction on X, attracting thousands of reactions and widespread sharing across social media.
The criticism goes beyond physical media
The organizers say the end of physical game releases is only part of a much larger issue.
In their statement, they argue that Sony has gradually drifted away from its core fanbase in recent years. Among the concerns raised are the company’s increased focus on live-service games, limited support for PS VR2, and several controversial decisions involving first-party studios and established franchises.
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For many supporters of the campaign, the announcement that physical PlayStation games will disappear after 2028 was simply the tipping point.
Active users are a key business metric
One reason the campaign has attracted attention is that Sony has repeatedly highlighted monthly active users as one of its most important performance indicators.
The organizers therefore hope that a noticeable drop in player activity—even for just one week—will be seen by the company.
Whether the boycott will be large enough to have any measurable impact on Sony’s internal metrics remains to be seen.
Sony has not responded
At the time of writing, Sony has not publicly commented on the planned boycott or indicated that it intends to reconsider its decision regarding physical game releases.
Regardless of its eventual impact, the campaign highlights how emotional the debate surrounding digital ownership, physical media, and long-term game preservation has become within the PlayStation community.
Whether a significant number of players ultimately participate in the PlayStation Blackout will become clear once the campaign begins later this August.
What do you think? Will you be taking part in the PlayStation Blackout? Let us know in the comments.
