Sony has confirmed that as of January 2028, its PlayStation games will only be sold in digital format. The measure has sparked criticism among players, who fear losing control over their titles and being trapped in a perpetual subscription model. The controversy grew when artist Beeple published an image of police officers burning game boxes, fueling the debate about the future of ownership in the industry.
The End of Physical DRM and Server Dependency 🔒
Sony's decision eliminates physical media as a distribution method, but does not solve the technical problems of the digital model. Without a disc, the user depends on centralized servers to download and authenticate their games. If those servers go down, access is lost. Additionally, digital licenses are not transferable or resellable, which reduces the second-hand market. DRM is now permanent, and ownership becomes a revocable permission.
Police Burning Discs: The New Rental Service 🔥
Beeple's image is not fiction: it is a metaphor for what is coming. Soon you will pay 80 euros for a game you cannot touch, sell, or lend. And if you stop paying your subscription, your library becomes a collection of gray icons. At least discs could be used to heat the house in winter, or to throw at noisy neighbors. Now, all you have left is to read the terms of service while your console becomes smarter than you.