You Don’t Own the Games You Play On Your Playstation
As Sony prepares to phase out physical discs by 2028, gamers face a harsh reality: buying games digitally means licensing games, not owning them.
By D’Yuan Brown and Giovante Georges
Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Gamers who pay $70 for the latest digital release might feel like proud owners, but the fine print says otherwise. According to Sony, it will stop producing physical discs starting in January 2028. As digital storefronts shift toward licensing models, players are paying top dollar for games that could potentially become unavailable. Some are even considering petitions and boycotts because losing discs means losing the ability to trade, resell and borrow games, according to Polygon.
Gamers have a comfortable approach when it comes to gaming; they play it for comfort, fun and relaxation. Typically, gamers spend money on games they would find fun or exciting. These games may or may not come with a disc, but virtually, they can be accessed from the digital PlayStation Store. Recently, gamers have been feeling a sense of oddity, like the games don’t truly belong to them.
“I feel like games that don’t have physical discs are bought online definitely cost a lot more, even for the experience not to be good or literally the same as buying a disc,” sophomore Kayla Thompson said.
This shift from physical discs to digital downloads isn’t about convenience; it’s an intentional business change by major gaming companies.
“I think games are so incredibly, incredibly expensive now. The experience of playing the game and completing it should be more important than just the price, because a game shouldn’t be $70 for me to finish in a few days,” sophomore Dakota Wade said.
In the past, gamers have experienced trading for discs. There’s a mixed reaction, but it shows the continuity and pride gamers take when it comes to gaming, whether it’s a cultural community or part of an identity to a gamer.
“I would still play PlayStation if they went fully digital because physical disc or digital game, I’m still paying a lot of money either way and it’ll add up still,” freshman Camille Johnson said.
Iain Campbell, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Furthermore, some companies have criticized Sony’s planned shift away from physical PlayStation games. In a report by GameSpot, physical-game publisher iam8bit expressed “profound disappointment” with the decision.
“Physical games are vital to games preservation, ownership, and consumer choice, values that have guided iam8bit since our first physical release in 2016,” the company said.
Additionally, games only being available online and not as a physical disc, as well as not being able to fully own the games they buy, is a consumer rights concern. Backlash from gamers highlights a growing frustration, which takes away true game ownership.
“The company recently sent out an email reminding people of the terms and conditions they agreed to so they could use PlayStation consoles, underlining that digital purchases grant you a license, not a game. This has left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths, especially after Sony announced plans for an all-digital future,” according to Polygon.
“While a boycott has been organized in response to PlayStation’s all-digital plans, Sony is adamant about going that direction in the future and is unlikely to budge,” according to Polygon.
This has left some gamers devastated because they don't have the choice of whether they want a physical disc or not.