{"id":1036074,"date":"2026-09-01T02:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T02:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1036074\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T02:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T02:07:25","slug":"theres-a-lot-of-resentment-for-sony-sources-go-back-and-forth-on-publisher-backlash-to-ps5-physical-discs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1036074\/","title":{"rendered":"‘There’s a Lot of Resentment for Sony’: Sources Go Back and Forth on Publisher Backlash to PS5 Physical Discs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sony's<\/a> Image: Push Square<\/p>\n

Update #2 [Mon 31st Aug 2026, 10:45pm]:<\/strong> After industry veteran Richard Browne rubbished rumours regarding publisher unrest in relation to Sony\u2019s decision to stop manufacturing physical discs, now Digital Foundry\u2019s<\/a> John Linneman has joined the discussion.<\/p>\n

In a new video<\/a>, he said the developers and publishers he spoke to were \u201clargely very upset\u201d about the move, as they see a \u201clot of return, in fact a majority, through physical sales\u201d.<\/p>\n

While Linneman didn\u2019t elaborate on the people he spoke to, he went on to say that \u201cobviously the big partners and big AAA studios don\u2019t care\u201d, so it\u2019s safe to assume he\u2019s talking about more boutique operations here.<\/p>\n

That would make sense, as smaller publishers like, for example, Clear River Games lean quite heavily into physical products for their games. (Though they also sell them digitally.)<\/p>\n

The major publishers are likely in support of Sony\u2019s decision, as they\u2019re able to increase their margins through digital downloads. A move in that direction is in their best interest.<\/p>\n

Linneman said he got the impression the businesses he talked to will put their weight behind the Switch 2 moving forward, which still has a vibrant physical market, but that obviously includes the controversial Game Key Cards and \u2013 in some cases \u2013 more expensive physical cartridges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe industry side is not positive, and there seems to be a lot of resentment for what Sony\u2019s doing,\u201d Linneman concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m wondering if this is the kind of thing that will result in potentially less good results for Sony. They\u2019re not infallible and they\u2019re not automatically going to get the audience. We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Update #1 [Sun 30th Aug 2026, 7:50pm]:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richard Browne \u2013 an industry veteran who\u2019s worked at companies like Sony, Psygnosis, and Tencent, among others \u2013 has rubbished recent rumours<\/a> which suggested PlayStation could reverse its decision on physical media.<\/p>\n

Browne said there was \u201cno talk of Sony changing strategy at Gamescom<\/strong><\/a>\u201d \u2013 I certainly didn\u2019t hear any chatter about it \u2013 and that \u201call publishers are following their guidance for discless in 2028\u201d.<\/p>\n

Just briefly. There was NO talk of Sony changing strategy at GamesCom. All publishers are following their guidance for discless in 2028. Microsoft will also go discless if they launch a new console. The \u201csource\u201d of these \u201crumors\u201d has not even posted it to their own X feed.\u2014 Richard Browne (@rpwbrowne) August 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He added that \u201cMicrosoft will also go discless if they launch a new console\u201d, despite the original source claiming the next Xbox would be \u201c100% physical\u201d.<\/p>\n

As I said all along, these rumours seemed baseless from the start to me, and I\u2019m sure other sources will step forward in the coming days to dismiss them.<\/p>\n

Original Story:<\/strong> I\u2019m not entirely sure how this rumour got started, but the web is awash with reports this weekend<\/a> that Sony is considering reversing its stance on physical games.<\/p>\n

The manufacturer has announced plans to cease manufacturing discs<\/a> in January 2028, which has led to a loud outcry from select customers, prompting an indefinite \u201cblackout<\/a>\u201d of the PS5 console.<\/p>\n

But the company itself has said it\u2019s \u201cnot seeing any impact on our business<\/a>\u201d from the backlash, as vocal fans threaten to cancel PS Plus<\/strong><\/a> subscriptions and purchase their games elsewhere.<\/p>\n

As far as I can tell, these unsubstantiated rumours seem to stem from a Eurogamer Spain<\/a> podcast, where one of the hosts claims to have heard speculation at Gamescom<\/strong><\/a> about a potential change to Sony\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

Allegedly, the reason behind PlayStation\u2019s sudden change of heart is that Microsoft has apparently been telling publishers that its next console will be \u201c100% physical\u201d, and that\u2019s allegedly got Sony spooked.<\/p>\n

REPORT: PlayStation is claimed to be considering delaying their digital-only future because XBOX is willing to go physical next generation\ud83d\ude80<\/p>\n

\u2705Microsoft is allegedly telling publishers its next console, Project Helix will be entirely physical and will allow users to convert\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/WPlCaKWtWc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rino\ud83d\ude80 (@RinoTheBouncer) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course, none of this makes any sense.<\/p>\n

Publishers earn more money on digital purchases, so they\u2019ll be aligned with Sony\u2019s strategy \u2013 even if they\u2019re not saying it publicly<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Xbox Series X|S skews even more towards digital than the PS5, due to a variety of factors, including Game Pass<\/strong><\/a>. Many of Microsoft\u2019s first-party games ship with mandatory downloads \u2013 or in some cases, without a disc-based release at all.<\/p>\n

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma dodged the question<\/a> in a recent interview.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Sony has started the process of retraining staff at its physical disc manufacturing facility<\/a> in Austria, meaning its decision is practically fixed at this point.<\/p>\n

And with the rising price of hardware components, console makers will likely be looking to save money wherever they can, meaning the exclusion of a disc drive could help mitigate some of the manufacturing costs.<\/p>\n

I just don\u2019t buy this rumour in the slightest, but such is the state of media literacy these days, it\u2019s already spreading like wildfire and racking up the retweets.<\/p>\n

Look, I\u2019ll hold my hands up if this all turns out to be true \u2013 but I think we\u2019re going to need a better source first.<\/p>\n

[source youtube.com<\/a>, via mp1st.com<\/a>, x.com<\/a>]<\/p>\n

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\"Sammy<\/p>\n

As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He\u2019s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.<\/p>\n