Frustrated PS5 owners have begun unplugging their consoles in an organised boycott aimed at pressuring Sony, with the blackout designed to depress the company's monthly active user figures, a key metric it reports to investors. The protest is chiefly a response to Sony's plan to stop manufacturing physical PS5 discs from January 2028, though organisers also cite a broader sense that the company has become disconnected from its fanbase, pointing to a recent Push Square poll in which 92% of respondents said PlayStation Studios needed new management.

Participants are being urged to keep consoles unplugged, avoid logging in and refrain from PS Store purchases from now until at least 30th August. However, the campaign's impact looks likely to be limited: Sony recently reported around 125 million monthly active users, a year-on-year increase, and its CFO Lin Tao told investors that talk of boycotts and PS Plus cancellations has had no discernible effect on the business. A Push Square reader poll of 311 votes found only 33% planned to join the blackout, with 57% saying they would continue gaming as normal.