PlayStation recently made an announcement that starting in January of 2028, they will stop producing physical game discs. Going forward, games will only be released as digital versions in both the PlayStation store, and at physical retailers.

Sony claims that this is in response to “shifting trends in consumer preference,” but our data says otherwise.

Players Reject PlayStation’s Digital-Only Logic

We ran an overnight poll to hear from 149 PlayStation users in the US, UK, and Canada, using Forrester’s ConsumerVoices Market Research Online Community (MROC) to test consumer reactions to the PlayStation Announcement.

Of our 149 PlayStation users, 66% reported that they do not want to see this change take effect. Only 25% of respondents report being excited about this change. Though Sony claims that this decision was made for their customers, 69% of respondents agree that this

71% agree that this change will only benefit Sony and its shareholders, with one respondent saying that Sony is “being very greedy with this move.”

Gamers Want To Own Their Games, Not Rent Them

Players foresee two issues stemming from this change: (1) erosion of game ownership, and (2) removal of game transferability.

As console-makers depreciate discs, players fear game ownership will be further restricted. The crux of the matter, owning a physical copy of a game has enabled players to play titles in perpetuity, even when delisted or removed from a store.

The PlayStation Store, like other digital marketplaces, routinely removes games and other media as license rights change or expire. Some titles are digitally cycled (and retired) every year. With digital only, players are naturally concerned about title longevity, especially when players are paying upwards of $90 (USD) for a single title. One respondent took particular umbrage with the idea that “a company can rip away [a game] from me at any point in time. If I cannot physically own a thing, I will not buy a thing.”

Consumers also worry over this decision making games non-transferable. Many gamers trade, or even sell their discs once completing the game. One commenter summed it up “This will all but eliminate the after-market for used video games.” Under current ownership models, digital games cannot be resold. Any gamer will now need to sink the full cost into a game, with no potential for recouping any of that cost at a later point.

PlayStation’s Loyalty Test Starts Now

Gamers are notoriously brand loyal, but this decision is shaking die-hard fans. 45% of PlayStation users plan to shop with PS less due to this announcement, and 29% of them plan to move to a different console entirely. 30% plan to use less Sony products overall, even outside of PlayStation. The sentiment is unambiguous – customers see PlayStation’s move to digital-only as a bid to lower their costs, and are not at all happy about this decision.

What this sets up is a test – will gamers stick to their convictions, and pivot away from the platform? Or will a new trend bring them back? If gamers stick to their word, this means less traffic through the PS store and around Sony products. Brands targeting gamers should monitor how this change impacts engagement use. For the coming weeks, marketers would be smart to monitor their ad budget, and if other systems will retain more eyes.

*Note: This poll was administered to a random sample of 572 online adults in the US, UK, and Canada in Forrester’s qualitative ConsumerVoices online community July 5-6, 2026. This data is not weighted to be representative of total country populations.
Blog Authored by Tyler Castro, Contributed to by Will McKeon-White

 

 

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