Overview
- Does It Play organized a week-long 'PS Blackout' that ran August 23–30 and called on users to power down PlayStation consoles in protest of Sony’s decision to end disc production.
- Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the company’s US tracking showed "no significant change at all" in player count or engagement during the blackout.
- Circana’s dataset covers only the United States so the protest’s effect in regions with higher disc use, such as Germany, France and Japan, is not measured by this report.
- Sony has reaffirmed its move away from physical discs toward a digital-first model and has told retailers it will supply digital formats while exploring boxed redemption codes for store sales.
- Preservation groups, petitioners and some legal actions continue over ownership and archival concerns, while the limited US impact so far suggests the boycott has not yet altered Sony’s commercial course or retail planning.