EU admits it cannot stop Sony killing physical discs – “companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit”
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.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Eliminating physical media removes fundamental consumer protections including ownership rights, the ability to resell games, and access for those without reliable broadband. Digital licensing creates vendor lock-in and dependence on corporate servers that may eventually close, destroying consumers' permanent access to products they've purchased. This represents a material erosion of consumer choice and market competition that arguably warrants regulatory intervention to prevent companies from dismantling consumer protections that existed under the physical model.
The case against
Companies reasonably should possess commercial freedom to adopt modern, more efficient business models without regulatory mandates to perpetuate outdated technology. Digital distribution provides genuine benefits—lower environmental impact, reduced manufacturing costs, faster delivery, and support for increasingly sophisticated games—that improve outcomes for both industry and consumers. Regulatory intervention to mandate physical media would be economically inefficient and inconsistent with how other entertainment sectors operate; market competition and consumer preference naturally drive such technological transitions without government mandates.
Explained simply
PlayStation is Sony's video game console, which has historically sold games on physical discs that consumers can buy secondhand, trade, or keep indefinitely. From January 2028, Sony plans to require all new PlayStation games—including those from third-party publishers—to be released only in digital format. This means the physical games market will effectively end on this platform.
The shift raises concerns about reliance on internet connectivity, digital ownership rights, and the disappearance of the secondhand games market. The change also removes consumer protections that traditionally come with owning physical copies. Consumer groups have launched petitions against the decision, gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures in protest.
The European Union has indicated it cannot prevent Sony from making this change, citing commercial and contractual freedoms as reasons, provided that existing consumer protections under national and EU law remain in place. This means the decision lies with Sony within current legal frameworks.