It's Official: The PlayStation Blackout Protest Did Nothing

Published Nov 6, 2026, 6:32 AM EST Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games. Sony keeps growing despite the announced discontinuation of physical media Image: Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment Sign in to your Polygon.com account Disgruntled players tried to boycott Sony in August after the company announced it would discontinue physical media. However, it seems that the PlayStation Digital Blackout protest was a bust. Sony released official data for its second fiscal quarter, making it clear the boycott didn't move the needle. Instead, the company continued to grow, proving its point that losing physical media will not affect Sony as a business. With Sony ceasing disc production in January 2028 and allegedly trying to establish a digital game monopoly, PlayStation owners who were unhappy with its recent business practices organized a boycott. From Aug. 23 until Aug. 30, participants pledged not to make in-game purchases, buy digital games, or renew PlayStation Plus subscriptions. However, the protest gained less traction than expected. Circana's video game industry advisor, Mat Piscatella, initially noted that there hadn't been any significant change in player count or engagement during the blackout. Sony's digital sales continue to grow, unaffected by boycott Image: Sony The financial records have confirmed the protest's insignificance to Sony's business. Not only did sales and engagement not go down, but they actually went up, with Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine leading the charge with 2.4 million units sold. Compared to the previous quarter, monthly active users increased by 2 million and digital sales rose by ¥138.8 billion — ¥158.7 billion if you count add-ons, which is about $996.2 million, using FYQ2's average conversion rate. With the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 on Nov. 19, numbers are only expected to keep rising this fiscal quarter. With the launch date fast approaching, many players will make sure they secure their pre-orders in order to be able to preload GTA 6 ahead of release. Plus, since the physical edition of GTA 6 doesn't contain a disc, most will simply stick to purchasing it on the PS Store, driving the number of digital sales even higher. It may be a harsh reality for physical media advocates, but the truth is that Sony's decision to pursue an all-digital future has not had a negative impact so far. Given estimates that Microsoft's next-gen Xbox could cost up to $1,800 — and that's without knowing if it'll even include a disc drive — Sony will likely continue to prosper regardless of moving away from physical media.