EU Commissioner Confirms No Intervention in Sony’s Decision to Ditch Physical Discs

The European Union (EU) has stated that it cannot intervene in Sony’s decision to discontinue the release of new PlayStation games on physical discs. This move, announced for January 2028 onwards, has sparked a heated debate among gamers and fans of the PlayStation console.

As reported by the Irish Mirror, European Commissioner for consumer protection, Michael McGrath, emphasized that the EU’s role is to protect consumer rights, but it cannot dictate how companies operate. ‘Companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit, provided that consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law,’ he stated.

This decision has been met with widespread criticism from gamers, who are concerned about the potential loss of ownership and the ability to preserve their game collections. The Stop Killing Games campaign has been vocal about the issue, highlighting the importance of physical media in the gaming industry.

However, the EU’s stance on the matter suggests that it will not be able to intervene in Sony’s decision. The European Commission has pointed out that existing EU copyright law gives rights holders exclusive control over their creations, making it difficult to impose a legal obligation to keep video games playable after they stop being commercially available.

Despite this, the Commission has announced plans to engage with the games industry and consumer representatives to develop an industry code of conduct on managing video games’ ‘end of life.’ This move aims to address the concerns of gamers and ensure that they are informed about the duration and conditions for terminating the contract before purchasing a video game.

As the gaming community continues to express its discontent with Sony’s decision, analysts have predicted that the backlash will not be enough to force the company to reverse its stance. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, has stated that even if half a million people cancelled their PlayStation Plus subscription in protest, it would be a mere drop in the ocean for Sony, which is unlikely to change its mind.

The shift to an all-digital future for new PS5 games is expected to increase revenue for Sony, which will retain a larger share of the profits from digital sales compared to physical copies. However, the decision has also raised concerns about the long-term preservation of game collections and the potential loss of ownership for gamers.

In a recent development, Santa Monica Studio has confirmed that God of War Laufey will be available on disc, suggesting that the game will be released in 2027. Insomniac has also confirmed that Marvel’s Wolverine will be released on-disc, potentially offering a glimmer of hope for gamers who value physical media.