Sony is set to cease physical disc production for its PlayStation games in 2028, a move that has sparked significant concern regarding digital ownership, the used game market, and potential increased costs for consumers. Beyond these substantial issues, the end of physical media also signals the demise of a quirky, lighthearted phenomenon affectionately termed "Disc Butts."
A "Disc Butt" refers to a specific alignment of artwork on a game disc's surface that, when viewed with fingers placed on the disc, creates the illusion of a character displaying their posterior. The most well-known example of this visual gag is found on the disc for FromSoftware's Bloodborne.
Other games have also featured artwork amenable to this playful interaction. Blizzard's Overwatch, for instance, offered a similar opportunity with its character Tracer, as documented by user Stacey Jenkins on social media.
Titles like Far Cry: Primal and Uncharted 4 have also presented artwork that allowed for similar disc-based jests. While existing physical copies will retain their capacity for "Disc Butt" creation, no new PlayStation games will offer this feature after 2028. It is also possible that Xbox could follow a similar trajectory, though no official announcements have been made.
The author acknowledges that "Disc Butts" are a trivial concern compared to the broader implications of a disc-less future, including the loss of true digital ownership and the decline of physical game bargain bins. However, the sentiment expresses a fondness for tangible media and the unique ways it can be interacted with and shared. The loss of these physical artifacts means losing a simple, albeit silly, source of amusement and a connection to the physical nature of game ownership.