PlayStation Physical Disc Petition Grows as Sony Ends Disc Making in 2028

A new petition calling on Sony to keep releasing physical PlayStation games is picking up momentum fast. Sony recently announced that starting in January 2028 it will stop manufacturing physical discs for its PlayStation hardware. In practice, that points to new PS5 releases after that window being digital-only, and it also suggests the next generation—PlayStation 6—will likely ship as an all-digital system.

Unsurprisingly, many players aren’t thrilled. Even though most sales now happen digitally, physical releases still matter to a portion of the community—particularly for preservation and long-term access. Reactions have been loud online, though it’s still unclear whether Sony will reverse the decision. To push for a change, a petition has been launched and has already collected more than 12,000 verified signatures in under a day.

Recent PlayStation messaging also reinforces a broader industry shift, signaling that the era of physical game media may be ending sooner than many players expected.

Petition Asks Sony to Keep Making PlayStation Discs

The petition is hosted on Change.org and was created by Jade Pearce. At the time of writing, it lists 12,838 verified signatures, and the count continues to climb with each refresh.

Part of the petition’s argument references PlayStation’s well-known E3 2013 moment targeting Xbox—when it highlighted PS4 owners’ ability to share physical games with one another. That emphasis doesn’t land the same way anymore, and the petition’s writers point out a frustrating reality: even when petitions gain major traction, companies don’t always respond or change course.

Quick facts

• A Change.org petition urges Sony to continue making physical PlayStation game discs.
• The petition was created by Jade Pearce.
• It had 12,838 verified signatures at the time of writing, with the number rising after each refresh.
• Sony’s plan starts in January 2028, when it says it will stop producing physical discs for PlayStation consoles.
• The petition references PlayStation’s E3 2013 stance on sharing physical games on PS4.
• A separate Change.org petition exists on the same topic, with nearly 3,000 signatures reported so far.

While it’s easy to assume nothing will change, Sony has stepped back from unpopular decisions before. For instance, it previously announced plans to close the PlayStation Store on PS3, a move that would have affected access to certain older PS1 titles and pushed interested players into a far more expensive situation. The backlash was strong enough that Sony delayed its PS3 store shutdown plans, and later it introduced additional changes—though it still ultimately aligned with the direction of eventually shutting things down.

That history matters because Sony’s latest shift toward ending disc production arrives alongside other signals that digital-first is becoming the default. A key example is Grand Theft Auto 6, which is described as a “code in a box” product with no disc release at all. This is happening even though Sony won’t stop making PlayStation discs for another two years.

Whether the new petition changes anything remains uncertain. Still, the outlook doesn’t look great: PlayStation 6 is likely already well into development, and the console is expected to have no plans for physical media. With that in mind, it’s unlikely Sony will reverse its stance now. Even so, it could be interesting to watch how customers react—especially since there’s a second Change.org petition on the same issue, currently sitting at nearly 3,000 signatures. If players are truly as upset as they say, the most meaningful pressure may come through purchasing behavior rather than page refreshes.

Analysts are also pointing to a separate pressure point: the next PlayStation hardware could be extremely expensive due to ongoing component costs. That would make the upcoming console generation feel unusual at best—potentially asking dedicated PlayStation fans to adopt a costly system that offers no physical media. Time will tell whether the community is willing to move forward with that trade-off.