“PSBlackout”: Major August boycott aims to stop Sony from ditching discs

Sony plans to end the production of physical games beginning in January 2028, a move that has sparked strong opposition from a large part of the PlayStation community. After numerous PS Plus subscription cancellations – many of them documented on Reddit – failed to change Sony's position, players are now planning the next step. Under the hashtag #PSBlackout, the preservation initiative Does it Play is calling for a week-long PlayStation boycott on X.

Between August 23 and August 30, PlayStation owners are being encouraged not to turn on their consoles and to avoid purchasing games or any other PlayStation products. The goal is to increase pressure on Sony and convince the company to continue supporting physical games. On Reddit, however, many users doubt that a one-week boycott will have any meaningful effect.

Insider Gaming expects little impact

Insider Gaming also appears skeptical that Sony will even notice the boycott. According to Grant Taylor-Hill, several thousand inactive consoles would barely register against a PlayStation Network user base of more than 120 million. In fact, the reduced server load could theoretically even save Sony money.

The timing of the campaign has also been questioned. No major PlayStation title is scheduled to launch during the planned protest week. A boycott timed to coincide with a major first-party release – such as Marvel's Wolverine, which launches on September 15, 2026 – would likely have a much greater impact, though it would also be more difficult for many fans to participate in. That doesn't necessarily mean the PSBlackout campaign can't send a message, but if players truly want to change Sony's strategy, they will likely have to alter their purchasing habits over the long term.