Dear Sony,

I’ve been a PlayStation guy for the better part of 26 years. It started with a launch PlayStation 2 all the way up to the PlayStation 5 Pro.

I, like countless others, was stunned at the news that Sony would be discontinuing discs in 2028.

For those who missed it, here’s a snippet of the announcement.

“As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028.  Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.”

I do have digital games, but if I have a choice, I will always opt for a physical copy.

The main reason I buy physical media is that no matter what happens, I own the copy of that game. If a company folds, or a game is delisted digitally because of a licensing agreement issue, it doesn’t matter – I own the physical copy of that game.

And let’s be real, there’s the ritual behind it, too. Ripping off the plastic, cracking the case, popping the disc in for the first time … there’s a nostalgia to that, going all the way back to the Sega Genesis for me.

Now, look. Part of me gets your decision — it’s business. A lot of gamers are opting for digital downloads, and I’m sure the cost to manufacture the discs, casings and whatever else isn’t chump change. I can accept that maybe nostalgia doesn’t justify the cost.

The real issue is ownership. And quite frankly, it seems like you’re expecting me (and others) to be OK with paying more to own less.

Your terms of use for the PlayStation Store spell it out.

Under content licenses and restrictions:

10.1. All intellectual property rights subsisting in the Content, including all software, data, services, and other content subsisting in or used in connection with our Services, the Online ID and access to content and hardware used in connection with our Services belong to SIE, its affiliates, and its licensors. Use of the terms “own,” “ownership”, “purchase,” “sale,” “sold,” “sell,” “rent” or “buy” in this Agreement or in connection with the Content does not mean or imply any transfer of ownership of any content, data or software or any intellectual property rights from SIE, its affiliates, or its licensors to any user or third party.

In other words, even if I “purchase” a game digitally — even if I fork over $80, $90 or $100 — I don’t actually own it in the way I own a disc sitting on my shelf. I’m paying for the permission to use the game.

Next:

10.3. You may not sell, rent, lease, loan, sublicense, modify, adapt, arrange, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any portion of the Content.

Cool. So that game I spent full price on — the one I apparently don’t truly own — can’t be loaned to a friend. I can’t resell it. I can’t trade it in. If I buy it and hate it, I’m stuck with it. It’s ironic too, seeing how one of your selling points for the PlayStation 4 was that gamers could share physical copies of games with one another.

Remember this?

And finally,

10.9. Except for the rights expressly granted herein, SIE, its affiliates and its licensors reserve all rights, interests, and remedies in connection with PlayStation and PlayStation Content. Upon termination of this Agreement, your Account, or license to any Content, you will immediately cease use of the Content and delete or destroy any copies.

So, the game I spent money on, don’t truly own and can’t loan or sell could also become inaccessible if my account, license or access to that content is terminated.

In essence, you expect me to give you money for software I don’t actually own, I can’t sell or trade, and access to that software depends on things out of my control (licensing terms, my account and agreements with publishers).

My question is this: In the digital future you’re heading toward, what am I actually paying for? And how does any of this create goodwill between Sony and its customers?

It seems to me like you’re expecting players to blindly pay more for the privilege of accessing software with no real ownership.

The beauty of discs was, I had a choice as a consumer. Some gamers are totally cool with digital purchases and are willing to take the risk with respect to your terms of use. Taking that choice away doesn’t give me the impression you’re operating in good faith.

In fact, it’s obvious where this is going – you’re going to charge a lot more for games we don’t actually own.

As of this writing, Starfield is marked down on the PlayStation Store for $55.99 after a 20% discount. The physical copy on Amazon is $49.30.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is even worse. The digital version is $69.99 on the PlayStation Store. The physical copy on Amazon is $25.38.

Big-box retailers can competitively price games on their shelves, and competition is generally a good thing for consumers.

So come 2028, the market will basically be whatever Sony decides on the PlayStation Store. Which, judging by those prices and Rockstar’s obscene pricing of “Grand Theft Auto VI,” the cost of this hobby is only going to go up. I’m also going to bet that, even with the cost savings from eliminating physical copies of games, I won’t see that reflected in games’ prices.

So again — I’m left wondering, what, exactly, am I paying for? How does moving away from physical media benefit me in any way?

It doesn’t.

There really isn’t any reason for me to feel confident as a PlayStation user heading into 2028.

But there are two things Sony could do to help ease those concerns.

First, reconsider pulling all the way back from physical releases. Why not reserve physical editions for major first-party games and major third-party releases?

Second, revise your terms of use to give players clearer ownership protections. Spending $60, $80 or even $100 on a game is not a small investment. If PlayStation’s future is digital-only, players deserve confidence that they’re paying for something more meaningful than temporary permission.

Short of that, I’ll end by saying this:

Thanks for leveling the playing field.

If nothing changes, and this is the future you’re dead set on, then Sony has made PC gaming look a lot more appealing.

Because if my choice is between a digital-only PlayStation ecosystem with no real ownership or saving up to build my own gaming rig, maybe it’s finally time to make that change.

Sure, I’ll miss out on some console exclusives. And yes, PC gaming is already digital-first and carries some of the same ownership concerns. But if you’re going to force me into digital ownership anyway, why wouldn’t I invest in an even more powerful machine with and even larger game library?

In a way, you made the upcoming pitch for the PlayStation 6 even harder.

I have spent 26 years as a Sony guy. I bought PlayStations on release day. Even now, with a Nintendo Switch 2, if a game is multiplatform, I usually choose the PlayStation 5 version because it’s the superior machine.

For the first time, I’m questioning that loyalty. And judging by the reaction online, others are too.

I doubt that’s the reaction you were hoping for.