- The Entertainment Retailers Association has criticized Sony’s decision to eliminate physical discs.
- UK trade body says digital games ‘should complement physical formats, not replace them’
- The ERA says: “Removing discs does not represent progress: it simply eliminates choice.”
UK trade organization the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) has criticized Sony’s decision to end production of physical PlayStation discs.
The gaming company has received overwhelming backlash since announcing its plan to retire physical discs in 2028 and now, as The Game Business reported, the ERA, which represents most of the major video game retailers in the UK including Amazon, Game, Sainsbury’s and HMV, has condemned the plan, calling it “a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice.”
“Every year, millions of gamers still choose to purchase physical copies because they value true ownership,” CEO Kim Bayley said in a statement. “A record can be shared with family, exchanged, collected, preserved and, most importantly, still played many years from now. A download license often offers none of those freedoms.”
According to NielsenIQ and market research firm GfK, The Game Business reports that 45 percent of all physical games sold in the UK in 2025 were for PS4 or PS5, accounting for almost half of all physical game revenue during this period, with the majority of sales being made by mail order rather than pickup in store on launch day.
The ERA also said that 25 per cent of gamers under the age of 25 use discs and that the total UK disc-based games market was valued at more than £300 million in 2025, “demonstrating that there remains a substantial and engaged audience for boxed games”.
“Retailers see this demand every day,” Bayley said. “Physical games continue to draw people into stores and provide consumers with real value through gifting, collecting and reselling. The industry should embrace all the legitimate ways consumers want to buy games, without limiting their options.”
The CEO continued: “Digital distribution has transformed gaming and is very popular, but it should complement physical formats, not replace them.
“Consumers deserve the freedom to choose how they buy their entertainment. Removing discs doesn’t represent progress; it simply eliminates choice. That’s bad for gamers, bad for retailers, and ultimately bad for the long-term health and preservation of our gaming industry.”
Since its announcement earlier this month, Sony has remained silent in the face of backlash. Many fans have come together to urge the company to reverse its decision, including signing a petition that now has more than 310,000 signatures.
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