Mike Ybarra Urges Sony to Rethink PlayStation’s Digital-Only “Ownership” Plan

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra is pushing back hard on how console ecosystems handle “ownership,” arguing that PlayStation needs to rethink the purchase model before it fully commits to an all-digital future. His comments come as players watch storefronts like the PlayStation Store behave less like libraries and more like rentals—highlighted by PlayStation’s past removal of over 500 movies from user accounts after digital rights lapsed. With that kind of precedent in mind, many gamers worry the same problem could eventually hit video games.

Key takeaways

• Mike Ybarra wants PlayStation to guarantee that purchased games can’t be removed from a user’s library.
• He pointed to PlayStation’s history of pulling more than 500 movies after digital rights expired as a warning sign.
• Rockstar’s plans for GTA 6 reignited concerns after it was confirmed there won’t be a disc release.
• PlayStation is reportedly ending disc manufacturing in 2028, pushing PS5 owners toward digital-only purchases.
• Ybarra also called for changes to digital buying, including lending, selling/trading, and ways to showcase libraries.

Mike Ybarra Seeks a Digital Promise from PlayStation

After Rockstar’s announcement that GTA 6 won’t include a disc option, it was also revealed that PlayStation plans to stop manufacturing discs in 2028. That would mean PS5 owners would have to rely on digital editions for future releases. In a post on Twitter, Mike Ybarra weighed in on the move, arguing that PlayStation should make a “digital promise” to its audience.

His core request is straightforward: PlayStation should have no practical ability to remove games from a customer’s library. Ybarra’s goal is to prevent the kind of abrupt loss that players experienced with movies when digital rights ended—an issue that has left a lasting impression on how “ownership” works on modern storefronts.

Ybarra also addressed a common complication with digital libraries: live-service versus single-player content. PlayStation has shut down Concord and other live-service titles, and he acknowledged the difference between games that require ongoing online support and games that can be played independently. In his view, the “digital promise” should cover what users buy in a way that avoids PlayStation being able to shut off access to purchased content in the same manner it has done with movies.

That worry has spread widely online since PlayStation outlined its strategy shift. The broader sentiment is that digital purchases don’t automatically translate into true ownership, and Ybarra wants consumer expectations—and the system behind them—to change.

Alongside the “digital promise,” Ybarra says PlayStation should also overhaul how purchases function to give players more flexibility. His post suggests improvements such as letting users lend digital games to friends, and adding options to sell or trade in used titles—features that have long existed in the physical market.

He also wants a more expressive way for players to show off their libraries. Since many gamers enjoy displaying collections of physical games, the argument is that digital owners should get similar visibility—essentially, a way to proudly showcase the games they’ve bought digitally.

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Whether PlayStation will take any of this feedback onboard is still unclear. However, the company has already faced a wave of negative reaction after announcing its all-digital direction. Some other companies have even mocked the approach, and replies to Ybarra’s post indicate that many players want reassurance and concrete changes before the storefront fully transitions to a digital-only release plan beginning in 2028.

If PlayStation sticks with the goal of releasing games exclusively as digital products starting in 2028, it may need to offer stronger guarantees to convince fans that the games they purchase genuinely belong to them—and won’t be removed later due to licensing, policy decisions, or other storefront controls.