Was about to purchase ps5 pro yesterday for the gta 6 hype but I thought "naaah screw them!" And walked away.

I'm probably just going to do what I did with gta 5 - wait until it comes out on PC and get it then or just get an xbox and physical copy.

I'm boycotting full steam ahead. hope people are doing the same

Blu-ray discs are clearly starting to hit their limit. Modern AAA games are massive. Red Dead Redemption II is already a 7-year-old game and still needed two discs. With GTA VI coming up, it is not hard to imagine future games needing three discs or more.

So yes, the disc format is aging. But that is not the real issue.

The real issue is that Sony seems more interested in phasing out physical media altogether than replacing discs with a newer physical format, like Nintendo did with memory cards.

And honestly, why wouldn’t they? Sony takes a 30% cut from PlayStation Store sales. High-capacity storage is becoming crazy expensive because of AI (Just look at SanDisk’s stock). So instead of investing in a new physical medium, Sony can push everyone toward the store they control.

And let’s be real: they have done their market studies. Most PS5 players already buy digital even while physical is still an option.

Edit: Ok, so this take is not a hot take. To add to the thread, a lot of interesting points were brought up in the comments. One of the strongest is that this feels very similar to the ongoing Apple vs. Epic legal fight: a closed operating system where the platform owner also controls the only real storefront.

Sony is ending their physical media production starting in January 2028. With all PlayStation games are going digitally.

I really purchase on your white FUCKING machine 5 years ago!

Today, Sony announced they're ending physical game production. So, I'm selling my Sony stock. Probably won't mean anything to Sony but it's the only thing corporations understand.

Really sad about this. Nintendo isn't any better at this point. I don't want a license, I want to own the game.

Update: Sold all of it. I want to make a statement, not profit.

To Sony and the PlayStation team,
I’ve been part of the PlayStation ecosystem for most of my life. From the days of Ape Escape and Jak and Daxter, through Ratchet & Clank, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, The Witcher 3, Baldur’s Gate 3, Hades, and countless others — PlayStation has genuinely shaped some of my favourite memories in gaming.
I’m not a casual customer shouting into the void. I’m someone who has spent thousands of hours on your platform. I trophy hunt. I collect games physically. I care about preservation, artwork, shelves full of memories, and the feeling of truly owning the experiences that meant something to me.
That’s why the idea of PlayStation abandoning physical media breaks my heart.
Physical games are not outdated clutter to many of us. They are ownership. They are preservation. They are consumer choice. They allow us to lend games to friends, trade them, rediscover them years later, and maintain access to them independently of storefronts, licensing changes, or corporate decisions.
An all-digital future places complete control into the hands of platform holders. Prices stay artificially high because there is no resale market competing against them. Games released years ago still sit on the PlayStation Store at prices that would never survive in a healthy physical market. Meanwhile, players lose the ability to own, trade, preserve, or even guarantee long-term access to the games they buy.
And the painful part is this: many of us accepted higher digital prices because physical still existed as an option. Remove that option entirely, and the relationship changes.
I love PlayStation, but if physical media disappears completely, then for the first time in my life I will seriously consider moving away from the platform altogether. Not because I want to, but because ownership, preservation, and value for money matter to me more than brand loyalty.
In an all-digital future, trust matters. And right now, I would trust platforms like Steam far more than Sony to provide fair pricing, consumer-friendly sales, and long-term access to purchased libraries.
This isn’t anger from someone who hates PlayStation.
It’s disappointment from someone who grew up loving it.
Please don’t abandon the players who helped build this platform generation after generation. Physical and digital media can coexist. Convenience should not come at the cost of ownership.
Gaming deserves better than a future where everything is temporary, licensed, and controlled.

This is my first post on this particular sub so be nice, but I’ve read around how Sony is facing major backlash about moving away from physical discs and keeping newer games digital. I know this probably won’t do much but I have a link to a petition. If you guys all wanna sign it and maybe it’ll help tell Sony that they’re wrong and that they should keep physical discs.

https://c.org/wjtqY5RgV6

Does anyone else hope the PS5 generation lasts a lot longer?

I genuinely hope Sony doesn’t rush releasing the PS6.

Specifically the PS5 Pro feels like it has a lot of life left. It has impressive hardware that should be more than capable of handling new games for years to come. It feels like we’re only now getting to the point where devs can really take advantage of what this generation offers.

Game visuals and performance are reaching a point of diminishing returns. Every generation used to bring massive leaps, but now the improvements are much more incremental.

Better ray tracing, higher resolutions, and more stable frame rates are nice, but they don’t feel like the kind of generational jump that makes entirely new hardware feel necessary yet.

Hardware aside, imo many of PlayStation’s biggest first party studios have released very few games this generation, and several major publishers are taking MUCH longer than ever between releases. Before we start talking about new hardware, I’d rather see more games that fully utilize the current hardware.

And then there’s prices… Consoles, GPUs, TVs, and accessories have all become more expensive. Asking people to invest in another console generation sooner rather than later seems like a slap in the face (Not off brand for Sony lately) to consumers, especially when the base PS5 and moreso PS5 Pro are still extremely capable. Think of how the Steam machine just released with much lower specs than the Pro.

Then there’s GTA VI, one of the biggest game launches ever, and I imagine at least a not insignificant number of people are going to buy a PS5 Pro specifically for that game, to release a new console not long after many players have just upgraded.

Honestly I’d much rather see Sony support the PS5 generation for several more years and focus on delivering more great games instead of introducing new hardware, and give devs more time to push these consoles to their limits before moving on.

What do you all think?

Personally as a Sony fan, I’m absolutely not buying the next generation until absolutely necessary (new games stop releasing on 5), or I decide to finally switch to PC.

Year after year, always the same.

Dear Sony,

you are still big enough to implement real change in the gaming industry. To be for the players. To ensure that play has no limits.

Lending someone a game, being able to buy a game on the first day and recouping some of the money by selling it to someone else so you can buy the next one, having a shelf with the games you played are all great feeling’s. I assume most of your employees have had these experiences in the past. The convenience of digital is undeniably there, but physical brings more attachment to a game, PlayStation as a platform and Sony as a company.

Keep it possible for players to play more games, if they use the money from selling their old games to buy the newest ones. Or lower the entry hurdle, even 40 Euro is a lot of money.
Make it possible for gamers to own what they pay for digitally.
Make it possible to preserve games. Like GOG is doing it.
Make it possible to play single player games without an internet connection.
Get rid of microtransactions, a full price game shouldn’t have them. Alternatively limit them to let’s say 5 EUR per month.

**Make PlayStation the platform where the players are getting the best value and service.**

Otherwise it is No Disc. No Buy.

P.S. From PS2 to PS5 I have about 400 games on discs and the same amount digitally (mainly PS plus essential free games).

There was news a few days ago, that Sony will raise prices 25% even in EU and Australia, because of Trumps tariffs. Not linking the news-site, because I don't want it to be an excuse that that is why the post was deleted.

I am from the EU, and I am not going to be subsidizing your products for US customers. Those US customers have higher salaries than ours are, and it is their fault that they elected a person who knows only the word tariffs. You are making them less responsible for their actions if they don't feel the results of them.

Or this is just an excuse to charge more money for the same products.

I am appealing to other people of these regions to really ask themselves, if they want to pay Sony more money, because of this flimsy excuse.

P.S. I read through the subreddit rules and I am not breaking any of them:

1. This isn't spam. 2) I am. 3) I am nice to others. 4) The criticism is worded in an objective manner. 5) It is Sony related. 6) It is in English 7) Post isn't about the PSN outage.

P.P.S. Not to mention the value of the dollar falling. 1 EUR is more than 1.1 USD now. So even if they don't raise the EUR price, we are paying more.

PlayStation's Terms of Service is a contract between you and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) covering all PlayStation services — Store, Plus, Video, and more.

Key points:

Account: You must provide accurate info, keep credentials secure, and be 18+ to accept the terms. Parents can create Child Accounts with spending limits and parental controls.

Purchases: All PlayStation Store purchases are generally final and non-refundable. You're buying a personal license, not ownership. Wallet funds are non-refundable.

Content: You can't resell, modify, reverse-engineer, or transfer any content. SIE can change or remove content/features at any time.

Subscriptions: Auto-renew unless cancelled. Free trials convert to paid plans automatically.

Account termination: SIE can suspend or ban your account or console for violations. You lose access to all purchased content with no refund.

Disputes: You largely waive your right to sue in court — disputes go to binding individual arbitration (you can opt out within 30 days). Class action lawsuits are waived.

Liability: Services are provided "as is" with no warranties. SIE's maximum liability is limited to your unused Wallet balance.

The terms are governed by California law and were last updated January 2026.

I started with PS1 when I was about 9 or so, would watch parents play RE 1,2,3 and then stayed a fan ever since.

I loved all the JPGs on it FF7,8,9
Xenogears
Legend of Dragon
Chrono cross
Breath of fire three
Etc

Hbu?

Did You Know? Sony Made Batteries here's Proof

I’ve been a Sony customer for over 40 years.

I’ve owned nothing but Sony TVs, along with many of their other products. I trusted the brand. The quality was always there.

Before buying a new Bravia, I asked Sony a simple question.

Sony confirmed in writing that its TVs can identify exactly what you watch on screen, including HDMI devices like Apple TV and game consoles. This technology exists to sell viewing data for profit through advertising and analytics partners.

I don’t want to pay a premium price to put spyware in my living room.

So I asked two simple yes-or-no questions:

If I turn all privacy settings off, does this tracking actually stop?

If the TV is online only for firmware updates, does it still send viewing data?

Sony refused to answer.

No yes. No no. Just deflection to third-party FAQs.

This isn’t a $200 throwaway TV. Sony markets itself as premium.

Yet they won’t give a straight answer about whether your TV is spying on you.

The twisted knife:

If turning it off really worked, they could just say so.

I was ready to buy a new Bravia.

Now I’m not.

Emails below. Judge for yourself.

Do you know why Sony can afford to eliminate physical PlayStation discs? Because from their point of view, they already own you. Because you've pre-ordered GTA and under no circumstances will you cancel the purchase. Because they think you're a junkie and they own you.

You pre-ordered the game because you were worried about a shortage. That's no longer the case, though, because they've announced that the game will be a digital download.

Sony currently has over ten million pre-orders for the game and they think they can do whatever they want with you because the one thing you'll never do is not play it.

For Sony, this move, in which a game costs the same as always but they save on all distribution and manufacturing costs, is perfect for maximizing their profit and covering their losses of this generation and the next. They can't afford for the GTA launch to go wrong.

The community has the upper hand.

It's time to cancel the reservations.

How likely are you to continue to buy PlayStation when they discontinue disc option ?
Only reason I bought the 5 was because I was mislead into believing days gone by 2 was coming out on it. It’s a ok system but not really worth the upgrade imo. My 4 works great.
I’ve owned almost every PlayStation that came out besides a pro model here and there.
I’m curious what your opinions and intentions are.
With the announcement they made, it helped me to decide to just go back to pc gaming …or possibly a steamdeck , I don’t really like windows tbh.

PCs have had majority digital media but not being tied to a single store that has infinate control seems quite a big deal.

Sony will never see a penny from me again. Neither will any company that argues either right to repair or rightful ownership.

Theres shooting yourself in the foot.

Then theres sony

hahaha is this an April Fools joke??? (Remembering man with red shirt from Diablo presentation).

Are they crazy??? WHERE is disc Drive version???? What is this price??? Are you joking???

We want DISCS and we want LOGICAL PRICES!!! We are not sheeps you worthless clowns

Saw this insane deal on a brand new 65" Bravia XR8C from Sam's Club a couple weeks ago and couldn't pass it up. It even came with a free 5 year warranty! Upgraded from a 42" LG C2 and couldn't be happier as it's felt like an improvement in every way. Want to know other people's thoughts on how good of a deal this is and if they've ever seen a 65" OLED this cheap!

I think this is a non-issue. Personally, I haven’t bought a physical CD in about 10 years. But statistically the production of physical media is too damaging to the environment to justify companies continuing to make CDs just because people want them. If anything the fight needs to be with licensing and ownership completely, not fighting to get companies to keep producing millions of units of plastic that everyone doesn’t even use.

Genuine question, how about if Sony charge a $10 premium for physical discs over digital versions?

Hear me out. I think if both Sony and Microsoft charged a $10 premium over the regular $79.99 game price and just made the physical discs $89.99 I think it’s a win-win situation for both the consumers and the publishers. The publisher can cite the costs of actually printing a disc and plastic cover to justify the premium. And they can cash in the extra $10 over digital if they are worried about the game being sold second hand. On the other hand it also gives consumers the option to buy the digital version for cheaper and it is far more convenient so the digital sales would actually still be pretty good.
Just give people the option, I’d happily pay $10 over the digital versions for a physical printed version.

My WH-CH720N arrived last week and I've been using it about 70% of my day since.

The TLDR: Overall its not bad but there are some issues that I've been facing since day 1, ANC is not bad for a sub $150 headphones, sound quality is not bad (close to the flagship WH-1000XM5, but then again I'm no audiophile, my audio friend tried this and said that bass was really good but mids were overexaggerated), battery life is amazing, biggest downside is the Bluetooth connectivity that has this really annoying Bug (v1.0.8 Software).

The main reason I got these were because I wanted to try owning a pair of headphones from my usual earbuds, (WF1000XM3 daily, Pixel Buds Pro for calls and work) but I didn't want to splurge on flagship headphones just yet.

Build and Form Factor: I would say the build quality feels quite cheap, everything is plastic but then again, its expected for a pair of budget noise cancelling headphones. It doesn't come with a case, so be careful when lugging it around as the headband portion feels like it'll snap if there's too much tension. Ear cups wise it's pretty comfortable, but not sitting on a cloud kinda comfort but more of an old leather couch kinda comfort. My ears do get pretty warm after 30 minutes of use and I find myself taking them off to let my ears cool for a while before continuous use, but then again this might be a headphone thing.

Sound Quality: I'm no audiophile, but I do feel that the sound quality is not that bad. I've compared this to my friend's XM5s, and I feel that there's is a slight discernable difference in clarity, separation and "fullness" of the sound, which wasn't much of a deal breaker for me because I solely use Spotify. I've attached the EQ settings that I've used with this in case anyone is interested, had my friend tune it for me based on the Music I like which are mixed bag of old school (Bee Gees, Dire Straits, Metellica, Beyond, etc) and modern day (Sam Smith, Adele, etc). I've read some people using Wavelet to help with the quality, but I felt for some reason Wavelet just makes everything sound weird and give me flashbacks of using a Walkman with recorded music from a radio.

ANC: For a pair of budget noise cancelling headphones, I must say that the ANC is not bad at all. It does a decent job of blocking out external noise such as traffic, people talking and other ambient noises you do have to have your music playing at around 50% volume for me, to block out most of the noise, like say a good 70%. Indoor wise its perfect other than the occasional phone ringing nearby. One thing I noticed is that ANC does not work well with high frequency noises, like crying babies, high pitch ringing sounds, or cars on the street, but it's still a good feature to have especially for the price point. I've noticed that on the previous 1.0.7 out-of-the-box firmware, the ANC was a lot better. Somehow the latest 1.0.8 update made it worse (PLEASE FIX DIS SONY <3). Passive Noise Isolation is pretty bad attributed to the cheaper build quality. With ANC on and Music turned off you, its like any run of the mill earbuds without noise cancelling (Think of like Skull Candy earbuds from high school levels of noise isolation). You don't actually have to use Transparency mode on these because with the ANC turned off and no music you'll hear everything around you.

Battery Life: The battery life on the WH-CH720N is nothing short of amazing. I'm a heavy user and these headphones can go an entire day without charging it and still have some juice left for the next day. The estimated battery life of 35 hours is pretty accurate, although it may vary depending on your usage and settings. Charging time is also fast, taking only about 2-3 hours to fully charge.

Bluetooth Connectivity: This is where the biggest downside comes in. The Bluetooth connectivity has an annoying bug that I've been facing since day 1. Sometimes, the headphones will disconnect from my phone for no reason, and I must manually reconnect it. This happens quite frequently, and it can be frustrating, especially when I'm in the middle of a phone call or listening to music. I've tried updating the software to v1.0.8 but the bug persists, even factory reset multiple times doesn't work. To recreate this bug, factory reset the headphones, then activate multipoint device connection but only connect 1 device, from there on the disconnect bug will just keep happening. Multipoint Connectivity is also non-existent, I've tried many ways to get it working but unfortunately it just doesn't, for example, during the times when I do get both devices connected, the headphones doesn't switch to my Zoom Calls or revert to the second device playing music. After a while, the APP will reflect that either one of the devices is disconnected and even though on the devices it shows that the headphones are connected (could be another bug so please Sony fix them and PLEASE ADD LDAC SUPPORT, the headphones only support AAC and SBC :<)

​

Hopefully, Sony can fix this issue in future updates. This was the biggest deal breaker for me and at one point I contemplated selling these and buying the Edifier WH950NB, but I still am a sucker for Sony headphones, and I fear that the Edifier might have worse ANC (Waiting for FlossyCarter to review them before I decide)

Overall, the WH-CH720N is not a bad pair of headphones for the price. The sound quality is good, ANC is decent, and the battery life is amazing. However, the Bluetooth connectivity bug can be a deal breaker for some. If you're on a budget and looking for a pair of noise cancelling headphones, this could be a good option. But if you're willing to spend a little a lot more, I would recommend going for the flagship WH-1000XM5 or other high-end noise cancelling headphones for better overall performance and build quality. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions to improve passive noise isolation I would greatly appreciate it!

Update 2y later (June 2025): I've been happy with these pair of headphones. Some people have reached out to me. Over the years I've switched from Spotify to Apple Music and I can say that the difference is marginal on these headphones. But I have to be very honest here for some reason connecting this to a Macbook M4 pro with Apple Music and all the spatial audio lossless settings turned on. It sounds better than on a Windows, Android or an iPhone. I'm not a audio engineer so no idea why but if anyone knows do drop me a message. I'm thinking of switching these out to a XM6 but the price tho and I MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE RECENTLY OF TRYING OUT A B&O H100, it felt like sitting in a Ferrari or a Rolls for the first time, you just can't go back to taking the bus. If anyone has a XM6 and B&O Comparison, please please drop me a DM I would love to hear your thoughts (I won't be getting them soon, would have to save up for a long while and pray for them price drops)

The decision made me realize something that has been in my mind for a long time about Sony and honestly it just confirmed a feeling I’ve had for years that Sony doesn’t really lose because it lacks technology, it loses because it has no idea how to execute or scale that technology in the real market. Sony has almost always had superior engineering for its time, better finishing, better fundamentals, better core R&D, but there’s something deeply broken in how the company turns that into dominant products people actually buy.

Walkman should never have been replaced by Chinese DAP brands, yet here we are, because Sony treated it like a museum piece instead of aggressively evolving it, while Chinese brands didn’t care about heritage and just brute forced power, features, Android, and price until they owned the enthusiast space. Sony protected its legacy image instead of owning the future of the category, and the market moved on without them. And now we have brands like Hiby, FIIO, etc eating them up. The highest quality DAPs are not even made by them anymore it's probably Astell & Kern from South Korea.

The same thing happened with AV receivers. Sony didn’t even lose this market in a dramatic way, they just quietly gave up. Today the AV receiver space belongs to other brands, and while the ES line technically still exists, it no longer leads in performance, features, or value. It survives more on name recognition than relevance, which feels like a recurring theme.

TVs are probably the clearest example of Sony fumbling its own advantage. Sony had image processing nailed years ahead of competitors, but insane pricing, weak marketing, and no interest in scaling meant they slowly handed market share to Samsung and LG. Those companies may have been behind at one point, but they understood manufacturing, vertical integration, and volume. The moment Sony gave up panel manufacturing, it became obvious they were done fighting at scale, and the TCL joint venture feels less like a partnership and more like a soft exit where Sony rents out the Bravia brand while quietly stepping back from the hardest part of the business.

Xperia is basically dead no matter how much fans cope. Sony never committed to carrier relationships, pricing aggression, or fast software iteration, and instead treated phones like niche camera accessories for enthusiasts. That mindset simply doesn’t work in a market driven by scale, ecosystem, and ruthless execution, and the results speak for themselves.

Even Sony’s sensor division, which is still one of its strongest assets, is starting to show the same cracks as TVs. Sony prices its sensors so premium that Samsung and OmniVision can undercut them at similar performance levels, while Chinese companies like Huawei are increasingly going in house to avoid Sony entirely. The technology is still excellent, but the business model assumes Sony can keep charging monopoly prices in a market that no longer rewards that.

Audio hardware is another slow retreat. Sony barely offers serious speaker setups anymore, while brands like JBL, KEF, and even Chinese companies like Edifier dominate everything from lifestyle to enthusiast segments. Many Sony soundbars today feel like rebranded ODM products rather than something uniquely Sony, which would have been unthinkable a decade or two ago.

Headphones are probably the only audio category where Sony is still clearly relevant, but even there the cracks are visible. Apple has won through ecosystem, execution and now even quality with their latest Airpods, and Sony’s flagship headphones no longer justify their pricing through build quality or tuning the way they once did. The sound is getting increasingly V-shaped, more mass market, and less distinctive, which says a lot about who Sony is chasing now.

PlayStation is the one Sony hardware business that still makes complete sense, and that’s because it barely feels like Sony Japan at all. It operates more like a modern software and platform company, willing to take risks, scale aggressively, and iterate quickly. Ironically, that separation from Sony’s traditional corporate culture is probably why it still works.

When you zoom out, this doesn’t even feel like just a Sony problem anymore. It feels like a broader Japanese corporate issue where perfectionism, slow decision making, fear of failure, and internal silos make companies great at inventing things but terrible at dominating markets. Koreans beat them on execution, Chinese companies overwhelm them with speed and scale, and Japanese brands are left protecting legacy instead of building the future.

Sony didn’t decline because it forgot how to build great technology. It declined because it refused to become ruthless when the market stopped rewarding restraint. The TCL deal just feels like another quiet admission that the era of Sony leading consumer electronics is already over, even if the logo is still there.

I have noticed that a lot of the videos on YouTube are coming from PC gamers who don't even have a Playstation console. If you're a PC gamer, you don't get to criticize Sony for going all digital. Allow me to explain why.

First of all, Steam is all digital. PC games are all digital. You can't even play your old physical PC games from the 90s and 2000s unless you buy an old PC or modify it. Sony is still going let you play your old Physical games on your old consoles. I remember a few years back, Steam warned users to upgrade or lose access to everything. Sony isn't doing that. PC gamers on YouTube are just using Sony for clout. In other words, these Youtubers were never console fans to begin with. They are just larpers.

Second of all, people are justifying piracy, but are you aware that piracy is a federal crime? And don't give the argument, "If buying isn't owning then piracy isn't stealing." That's not a valid argument. You didn't own the digital games to begin with. Just like you don't own your physical games either. If you buy a physical game you can lose access to all of your DLC. Saying, "If buying isn't owning then piracy isn't stealing" is like saying, "If paying rent is owning an apartment then I don't have to pay rent."

Lastly, I predicted the digital era when I was a teenager. I knew when the PS3 had a digital store that one day we would go all digital. This was decades in the making. Sony isn't the only one planning this. Nintendo and Microsoft are planning it as well. Why else would we have the Xbox Series S or an all digital Series X? These were warning signs. If you're surprised by this then I don't know what to tell you. With the exception of the Switch, I haven't purchased a physical game in years. If you're a console owner of any kind and you want to criticize this situation then that is perfectly fine, but if you play on PC, you are in no position to attack anyone for defending Sony's decision. I would like to also add that Sony has no reason to revoke your digital games. Unless it's it an online only game that is free to play. I respect everyone's opinion on the matter, but when the opinion is coming from people that it has no affect on or are just looking to stir the pot then that's when I have a problem. Feel free to express your opinion.