An EU commissioner has suggested there is little the EU can do legally to stop PlayStation from abandoning physical discs. Sony plans to stop releasing the media format for its PlayStation consoles, with the change taking effect in January 2028.
Many players are trying to stop the Japanese company from discontinuing records. There is currently a Change.org petition calling for PlayStation to stop releasing physical discs, and so far it has gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures. Some people are also turning to legislators and legislators to push for new laws and regulations that could prevent Sony's decision to kill PlayStations. However, a new comment from a politician has sparked another wave of disappointment among players.
There is not much that the EU can do, says the commissioner
As reported by the Irish Mirror, Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection, recently commented on Sony's new policies, saying: “Companies are free to offer games and services as they see fit.” McGrath also explained that “it's about commercial and contractual freedoms.” His comments come after the European Commission previously dealt a blow to the Stop Killing Games movement.
Click on the game with higher OpenCritic rating.
In June 2026, the European Commission announced that it would not proceed with Stop Killing Games' request to propose regulations that could prevent publishers from downgrading games. Now the same scenario seems to be developing with Sony's no-disc policy. The EU is unlikely to try to block the Japanese company from going ahead with its controversial decision. It appears that European copyright and intellectual property laws prevent legislators from introducing regulations that directly compel publishers to present, sell or endorse their products in a specific way.
-
Image via Sony -
Image via Sony -
Image via Sony
As for the Stop Killing Games movement, the EU has promised to look into creating a code of conduct to better manage a game's end-of-life process. So PlayStation fans can hope that a similar step is taken to improve digital game ownership. But judging by McGrath's comments, the EU is unlikely to introduce any firm laws against Sony's plans to discontinue discs.
Of course, McGrath isn't the first to share such disappointing news with players. Earlier in July, gaming industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto a similarly bleak outlook for the PlayStation. Toto said Sony is unlikely to change course on its choice to end physical game discs, despite the ongoing backlash. He suggested that the customer base is so large that even if thousands of people stopped buying games or canceled their PS Plus subscriptions, Sony would survive the impact and go ahead with the decision.
Gamers, however, do not seem to have given up the fight for physical discs. On social media, they are using #BoycottSony and the phrase “No disc, no buy” to encourage other PlayStation users to resist the decision. The gaming industry has also reacted to PlayStation ending physical media with mostly negative sentiment, and several well-known developers have criticized the company's policy. However, it remains to be seen how effective these user-led movements will be, as the legal side of things currently does not seem to be in favor of consumers.
