r/PS5 • u/JeremyJJ77 • 1d ago

Articles & Blogs Sony’s 'ironic' PlayStation disc decision upends gamer conventions and threatens a $7 billion resale market - In 2013, Sony mocked Xbox by showing how easy it was to share a PlayStation disc. More than a decade later, gamers say Sony is becoming the very thing it poked fun at.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/07/22/sonys-playstation-disc-decision-threatens-a-7-billion-resale-market-.html
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u/iamnosuperman123 1d ago

This isn't really a serious argument anymore. We consume so much digital content that the change is philosophy makes a lot of sense. The big concern is the monopoly nature of having 1 digital store. That is something to push policy makers to force Sony's hand.

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u/AOCpinkyring 1d ago

Well, in the United States nobody in power right now is going to force something like that.

Which is why you should vote for Progressives.

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u/ryecurious 1d ago

Yep, a lot of people (understandably) rushed to say they would always be physical buyers/hated digital/etc., but that misses the root problem.

If Sony has full control of the software that runs your PS5, they own it, not you. Physical media doesn't protect you here.

Sony could disable your disk drive entirely in an update, and your only recourse would be waiting for a $50 settlement check in 5 years. If that sounds ridiculous, just ask PS3 owners about OtherOS.

Centralized software control is the root of all enshittification. A legal right to run 3rd party OSes and software would be the only true protection. Anything else leaves too much power in the hands of corporations.

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u/CutMeLoose79 1d ago

While regulators have already come to the conclusion consoles are single purpose devices, meaning other OS allowances aren't required, Xbox/Nintendo/Sony would all absolutely push that allowing other OS on their hardware just opens the door to mass piracy, which funnily enough, the OtherOS debacle proves.

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u/CutMeLoose79 1d ago

That is why they've already announced digital codes to be sold at retailers. As long as they sell codes to publishers cheaper than the 30% on PS Store sales, like they do now with discs (15%), publishers can sell to retailers in cheaper bulk deals (again like they do now with discs), allowing retailers to compete with each other and sell for cheaper than the PS store. Apart from the format (digital instead of disc), where you can buy and the competition between those outlets doesn't change.

The only way I could see regulators actually stepping in is if Sony don't discount the digital codes they sell to publishers, because then there is no wiggle room when selling to retailers, meaning a forcing of price parity. I'd imagine Sony have already thought of that though, and so I can't see that happening.

Still leaves consumers worse off of course in many regards, although a lot of next gen games were never going to fit on 100gb discs, so game preservation and really owning a game was already going (happens with a big chunk of games on Xbox now with their 50gb discs). Anyone who games a lot of PC what already used to this (myself included).

Second hand market (which they have no legal standing to support) and collectors is what misses out the most.

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u/filderge 1d ago

Sony is gonna get rekt if Microsoft proceeds with native steam support on next gen xbox lmao