The European Union has stated it cannot prevent Sony from ceasing the production and sale of physical game discs for its PlayStation consoles. Commissioner for consumer protection Michael McGrath confirmed that companies retain the freedom to offer games and services as they see fit, provided that consumer rights are upheld in accordance with national and EU law.
Sony's decision, announced on July 1, will see all PlayStation releases from January 2028 onwards become digital-only, eliminating even code-in-the-box options at retail. This shift has spurred significant public reaction, with a Change.org petition titled "Don't Kill the Disc" rapidly gathering momentum and surpassing 286,000 signatures.
Speaking in the European Parliament, McGrath elaborated that the issue largely falls under "commercial and contractual freedoms." He noted that the EU has previously considered citizen initiatives regarding the availability of games when new editions are released, but this current situation concerning physical media termination is beyond the scope of direct EU intervention.
The petition highlights the wide-ranging industry ramifications of Sony's move, drawing a parallel to the company's own 2013 "Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video," which it now appears to contradict with its future digital-only strategy.