Sony won't reverse PlayStation disc phase-out despite backlash, CFO says
During Sony's Q1 FY2026 earnings call on July 31, Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao broke the company's silence on the fierce backlash to its decision to end physical disc production for PlayStation games starting January 2028, acknowledging fans' "strong views" while making clear the company will not reverse course.
"We're Going to Cautiously Move This Forward"
"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 through an interpreter during the investor Q&A session, as reported by Kotaku. "It's not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content, digitalization is progressing."
Tao acknowledged the wave of petitions, social media campaigns, and organized boycotts that have followed Sony's July 1 announcement. "We have received various opinions and people have strong views, and we understand that the community has put forth those views to us," she 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. And so we understand those emotions."
Despite that acknowledgment, the CFO said the decision stands. When asked whether the backlash had impacted PlayStation's business, Tao said it had not, noting that 82% of all PlayStation games sold are already digital. She added that Sony does not expect the discontinuation to have any negative business impact going forward.
Retailers and Differentiation
Tao addressed concerns about the decision's effect on retail partnerships, stating that Sony communicated the change to partners early and that publishers will still be able to ship boxes containing digital codes to stores in markets like North America. "For each regional partner, we try to have a thorough dialogue so that we can end up in a win-win situation," she said.
On the question of how PlayStation would differentiate itself from gaming PCs in an all-digital world, Tao pointed to curated content, platform stability, and affordability relative to high-end gaming PCs, arguing that "we don't feel that the disc itself is a strong factor for differentiation".
Industry Reaction
The backlash has extended beyond fans. The UK's Digital Entertainment and Retail Association called Sony's decision "a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice". A group of players is organizing a week-long PlayStation "blackout" in mid-August. Meanwhile, industry analysts have suggested a reversal remains unlikely. "Sony will not reverse this decision," Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games told IGN. "Digital is just too lucrative."
The quarterly results also revealed PS5 shipments have reached 95.3 million units as of June 30, 2026, with the PlayStation Network hitting a record 125 million monthly active users.
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Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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