The European Union has confirmed that it has no power to prevent Sony from ending physical discs on PlayStation, with consumer protection commissioner Michael McGrath stating that "companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit". The comments follow Sony's announcement on 1st July that all PlayStation releases from January 2028 onwards will be digital-only, a decision that affects games not published by Sony itself and signals a significant shift for the wider industry.

McGrath, speaking to reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, cited "commercial and contractual freedoms" as the reason little can be done at an EU level, provided consumer rights remain protected under national and EU law. The decision has prompted a backlash from players, with the "Don't Kill the Disc" petition on Change.org gathering more than 286,000 signatures at the time of writing. The petition highlights the broad ramifications for the industry and points to Sony's own 2013 Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video, which it argues mocked the very practice the company is now adopting some 13 years later.