Even KFC Chimes In as Sony Ends PS Disc Releases in 2028

Sony’s announcement that it plans to stop shipping new PlayStation titles on disc starting in 2028 has triggered an immediate backlash online. The reaction hasn’t been confined to game studios and longtime players either—major brands and recognizable entertainment figures outside the industry have piled on, turning the news into a wider social-media talking point.

Release and platform changes: PS5 discs end in 2028; store closures on PS3/Vita

Even though strong opinions about a sudden shift away from disc-based consoles were always likely, the message spread fast. Reports from major news outlets helped broaden the audience, while online parody accounts and brands leaned into the “physical is going away” angle for laughs.

KFC Spain was one of the most prominent examples. Its official X/Twitter account posted a mock “breaking news” message stating that the chain would stop offering its physical format “starting today.” The parody claimed that products could only be “consumed through our app” in “fake PNG format,” and added a timeline for further content in the form of “DLC” centered on sauces.

The joke continued with more absurd follow-through: KFC’s post said that within a year it would release a “FriedChicken Pass,” offering access to the “entire catalog” for a small monthly fee. It also included a threat aimed at would-be leakers, claiming that if people “pirated the PNGs on Pinterest,” the company would show up at their homes.

Fast-food humor wasn’t the only crossover. Domino’s Pizza UK amplified the PlayStation announcement by retweeting the news and commenting that it “makes about as much sense as us changing to digital pizzas.” It then leaned on pop-culture nostalgia, claiming that “they took Blockbuster from us,” and adding that the “gaming aisle” is next.

Outside brand parody, comedian and late-night host Trevor Noah also weighed in on X/Twitter. His criticism focused on the practical reality that physical discs can be the most affordable way for some players to get access, especially when used copies become cheaper over time. He also highlighted the social side of discs, arguing that giving games to younger siblings is easier when there’s a tangible item involved.

Noah went further by connecting the disc decision to Sony’s earlier announcement about digital film purchases. He referenced the claim that a portion of movies bought digitally via the PlayStation Store would be removed from users’ accounts due to rights complications—an event framed as evidence that digital media can be affected without meaningful user recourse.

In his conclusion, Noah underlined what many critics fear: if media is only digital, it can be lost “at a moment’s notice.” He asked viewers to imagine a scenario where an entire library of games could disappear overnight, not because the content is broken, but because the customer does not technically “own it” under the terms attached to digital access.

The post landed well with several corners of the game community. Former Battlefield director David Goldfarb shared approval, while Does it Play?, a well-known account focused on game preservation and accessibility, described the issue as an “underrepresented aspect.” That account argued the shift could also hurt game sales, since removing physical media would erase one path for word-of-mouth recommendations and casual discovery.

Industry-focused reactions weren’t limited to commentary posts, either. Blaze Entertainment—an indie and retro console maker known for cartridge-based Evercade systems—published its own parody of Sony’s older instructional-style video about sharing games on PS4. Many viewers pointed out that the joke plays into how quickly “the way we shared games before” is being treated as a relic in today’s push toward always-online distribution.

While plenty of players accept that digital downloads may be the dominant ownership model in the long run, Sony’s timing complicates that narrative. Alongside the disc cutback news, Sony also announced it will shut down the PlayStation Store on the older PS3 and PlayStation Vita, citing rights issues. At the same time, analysts interpreted the end of physical media on PS5 as a strong hint that the next generation—PS6—will likely be digital-only, with a launch window not expected until at least 2028.

This isn’t being framed as a Sony-only trend. Microsoft’s next generation Xbox—reportedly codenamed Project Helix—was said to be planned without a disc drive. In parallel, Microsoft is also rumored to be testing or developing a disc-to-digital approach, where users could insert a disc into the console and receive a digital license for that game, allowing play without requiring the disc to remain in the drive.

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Image credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social