EU says it cannot block Sony's shift to digital-only game releases

The European Union has said it cannot intervene to stop Sony from discontinuing physical discs for PlayStation games. Sony announced on July 1 that all new releases from January 2028 will be digital-only, including versions that would previously have been sold in boxed form.

A petition calling for the preservation of physical media has gathered more than 286,000 signatures, according to the campaign group Change.org.

EU consumer-protection commissioner Michael McGrath told reporters in Strasbourg that the bloc’s powers are limited in this area. > "It does come down to commercial and contractual freedoms, and companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit, provided that consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law," he said. He added that the commission had considered a European Citizens' Initiative on whether games should remain available after a new edition is released.