The European Commission's head of consumer protection stated that 'the discontinuation of PlayStation's disc version cannot be prevented.'
Sony has
EU cannot stop Sony and other developers from scrapping physical discs, says Michael McGrath - Irish Mirror
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/politics/eu-cannot-stop-sony-developers-37398844
EU says it can't stop Sony from ending physical PlayStation game releases | TechSpot
https://www.techspot.com/news/113088-eu-cant-stop-sony-ending-physical-playstation-game.html
In accordance with Sony's policy, new games for PlayStation consoles released from January 2028 onwards will only be available as digital downloads. Sony explained this decision by stating that it was made 'in consideration of customer purchasing trends and the overall shift in the entertainment industry from physical discs to digital.'
Some users are protesting this decision. One reason for the backlash is that downloadable versions of PlayStation games are only provided as 'license grants,' and users do not have complete ownership rights. This means that there is a possibility that games purchased by Sony may no longer be available to users at their discretion.
A blog post arguing that PlayStation's discontinuation of game discs is 'not a matter of physical games versus digital games, but a matter of ownership' is gaining attention - GIGAZINE
These users questioned the European Commission about whether the EU could intervene. The European Commission is known for imposing strict regulations on technology companies, and Nintendo even switched to a battery-replaceable version of the Nintendo Switch in anticipation of battery regulations that applied throughout Europe. They hoped that similar regulations could be imposed on Sony.
However, Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, stated that 'companies are free to provide games and services in the way they deem appropriate, as long as consumer rights are adequately protected,' suggesting that there is little that can be done at the EU level for consumers.
Sony is merely one platform for selling games and does not monopolize the entire game market; it is guaranteed the freedom not to sell disc versions. Furthermore, manufacturers also have the freedom to sell their games on platforms other than PlayStation, so if a game becomes unplayable, the responsibility should lie with the manufacturer who chose not to sell their game on a platform other than PlayStation, not with Sony.
Apart from the discussion about Sony, Commissioner McGrath was also asked about the ' Stop Killing Games ' movement, which argues that it is unfair for games purchased to become unplayable when the service ends. 45 Members of the European Parliament had sent a letter to Commissioner McGrath and President Ursula von der Leyen requesting legislative action, but both stated that 'it is due to European copyright and intellectual property rights, and it is not possible to enact legislation to prevent the termination of services.'
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