What Sony’s PS5 Surveys Really Say About the 2028 Disc Phase-Out

Sony’s public PS5 satisfaction survey has become a place for players to protest the company’s planned move away from discs—but it is not specifically a referendum on physical games. A separate, unusually large survey to developers has also been reported, though Sony has not confirmed its existence or contents. Neither survey announcement establishes that the company is reversing course.95

What Sony plans to change in 2028

Sony has announced that it will stop producing discs for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles from January 2028. After that date, new games will be sold digitally through the PlayStation Store and at retailers, including in boxes containing digital formats. Games released—or already scheduled for disc release—before the cutoff are not affected.142

Sony says the decision reflects a shift in consumer preferences and the wider entertainment industry toward digital content.14 The change is about physical releases for new games, not the immediate removal of existing discs from sale or play.

Why the public survey became a protest venue

The public questionnaire asks adults about satisfaction with the PS5 and aspects of the console, including its games and user experience. It does not specifically ask whether Sony should keep releasing games on disc. Players who oppose the 2028 plan are using the survey’s open-ended responses to make their views known.912

The objections center on what physical copies let players do: lend or resell a game, buy secondhand or discounted copies, and keep a disc rather than relying solely on a digital purchase. Critics argue that a download code sold in a retail box does not offer the same options.

What’s known about the reported developer survey

A separate report, attributed to leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead, says Sony sent developers a very large survey that included indirect questions about possible issues with selling games physically. The reported wording and scale come from the leak; Sony has not confirmed the survey, and its contents are not independently established by the available reporting.513

If accurate, the survey could mean Sony is gathering feedback from people involved in making or selling games. But that is not the same as evidence that it has reconsidered the policy. The public PS5 questionnaire and the alleged developer survey are distinct, and neither should be treated as proof of a change in plans.

Has Sony responded to the backlash?

Sony has acknowledged that the decision has prompted strong views. Its stated rationale is the broader shift toward digital content, and the company has said it will move the decision forward cautiously. That response indicates the company is aware of objections, but it does not amount to a promise to preserve disc releases.

Could the feedback change Sony’s plan?

It is possible for companies to review plans after gathering feedback, but the available evidence does not show that Sony has changed this one. The developer-survey claim is unconfirmed, the public survey is not a direct vote on physical media, and Sony’s stated position remains that it will proceed with the January 2028 transition.5914

For now, the clearest answer is that Sony is gathering—or is reported to be gathering—feedback while maintaining its announced direction. The surveys have made opposition more visible, but they are not evidence of a reversal.