Chinese indie publisher Astrolabe Games has issued a "manifesto" pledging to release physical PS5 editions of all its eligible upcoming titles until Sony stops manufacturing discs in January 2028. The move is framed as a way to "safeguard developers' creations" and support physical media fans, and comes amid wider industry anxiety about Sony's decision to end PS5 disc production, even though physical sales have become a niche market.

Astrolabe, which is based in Shanghai and known for niche titles like BlazBlue Entropy Effect X and Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog, says it will pursue boxed releases "till the last day" possible, though it caveats that some games may only get releases in select territories and that the pledge depends on games meeting Sony's minimum order requirements, typically in the thousands of units. Its upcoming physical slate includes Gurei later this year and Fall Up in early 2027, with Sony reportedly still allowing re-orders after the cut-off provided manufacturing begins beforehand. The publisher's commitment comes despite only seven physical titles in 2026 having sold more than 100,000 copies.