Sony has drawn criticism for promoting the continued popularity of vinyl records at the same time as it moves away from physical disc-based PlayStation games, a contradiction commentators have called a PR own-goal. The comparison highlights that if Sony can champion a decades-old physical music format as still commercially viable, critics argue it undermines the company's rationale for phasing out disc drives and physical game releases on PlayStation consoles.

The article draws on the phrase "if you can do physical for music, you can do it for games" to challenge Sony's messaging, noting the apparent inconsistency between celebrating one legacy physical format while quietly retiring another. It reflects broader industry debate about the shift toward all-digital gaming, with critics pointing out that consumer demand for physical ownership, collectability and preservation has not disappeared, much as it hasn't for vinyl.