PlayStation is lying on a hot bed of coals of its own making right now, and fans are rightfully devastated. Even with a relatively wide berth of a year and some change until it goes into effect, PlayStation getting rid of discs and physical releases altogether has obviously threatened to rupture the industry, hurling users into a frenzy about what this could mean for ownership, preservation, and consumer choice as we move forward into an uncertain era for video games.

Things are looking dire, especially with Xbox presumably abandoning physical media, too, while game studios and high-profile brands have begun capitalizing on this news by advertising their upcoming launches with an emphasis on their physical releases, or by making a pointed mockery of PlayStation’s plans. Gamers themselves are reeling while the wound is still fresh, and reconciling with the possibility that it may never fully heal.

According to an Austrian write-up, as reported by Push Square, Sony has allegedly been planning its all-digital future for some time now and is unlikely to turn tail and go back on it. This would make sense, with Grand Theft Auto 6’s preorders and all-digital launch announcement probably being the first domino to fall, but it would evidently be a massive error on PlayStation’s behalf if it goes through with it, seeing how consumers are almost all in stark opposition.

For instance, many users, such as Driz51 and MuptonBossman, are condemning PlayStation and swearing that they won’t fork over their hard-earned cash to it in the future: “PS5 will absolutely be my final PlayStation console. I won’t support this decision.” User TheLimeyLemmon writes, “See you in 10–15 years when they’re not even selling us hardware anymore, just a streaming stick and a subscription so you’ll never own anything again.”

It wouldn’t make sense at all for PlayStation to reverse its decision unless it was truly listening to fans’ backlash, and all Grand Theft Auto 6’s PS5 preorders might’ve done is help reinforce this decision. Many fans want to be optimistic about PlayStation potentially changing its mind in the future if sales are poor and indicative of consumers refusing to give in to its all-digital video game landscape, but others are deeply unnerved and praying that Xbox and Nintendo don’t take a page out of its book.

Grasping at whatever optimism fans can, users like Endiaron are simply hoping that preservation persists in some shape or form. Indeed, this will crush any gamers who have adored video games as a hobby because they can collect physical media and display them. Xbox supposedly has a disc-to-digital feature that is in the works, for example, which would theoretically give fans a way to transfer their games across consoles, but nothing is guaranteed anymore.

Founded

October 3, 1994

Owner

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Known For

Uncharted, God of War, Horizon, The Last of Us,

PlayStation is a video game console brand developed and owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of the Japanese company Sony. Introduced in 1994, the brand includes home consoles along with handheld systems and online gaming services. It is one of the most commercially successful gaming brands worldwide.