Key facts
- Sony plans to stop producing physical discs for PlayStation games by 2028.
- The move reflects a growing preference for digital media over physical discs.
- Brands have used Sony's announcement for marketing campaigns on social media.
- Fan concerns about digital ownership and media preservation have been amplified by the decision.
- Companies like KFC, Domino's, Proton, and GameSir have created humorous content related to the shift.
Sony's decision to cease production of physical discs for PlayStation games by 2028 has ignited a wave of online reactions, with numerous brands seizing the opportunity for marketing. Companies across various sectors, from fast food to privacy software, have posted humorous content on social media, using Sony's all-digital future as a springboard for jokes and commentary.
The shift, which Sony attributes to the significant preference for digital media over physical discs, has also fueled broader fan backlash. Concerns about digital ownership, the long-term preservation of media, and the implications of relying solely on downloads have been mounting within the gaming community. This sentiment was recently echoed when Rockstar Games announced that Grand Theft Auto VI would be sold with a download code instead of a physical disc, sparking a similar debate.
Brands have actively engaged with this discourse. Gaming accessory maker GameSir humorously suggested it would stop making physical controllers, pivoting to "downloadable ones" controlled by "quantum entanglement and pure imagination." KFC España and Domino's UK drew parallels between digital game codes and virtual food, with Domino's comparing the move to replacing pizzas with download codes for a "virtual sense" experience. In a contrasting move, privacy-focused Proton joked about offering physical versions of its digital services, such as hand-delivered encrypted letters for Proton Mail and a "smart employee" for Lumo AI, highlighting the continued physical nature of many essential services.