European Commissioner for Consumer Protection Michael McGrath stated that the European Union has no legal mechanisms that would allow it to oblige Sony and other publishers to continue releasing games on physical media.
The statement came in response to players' concerns regarding reports of a possible transition of some major releases, including GTA VI, to a digital distribution model and rumors of PlayStation abandoning optical drives by 2028.
The European Commission's position was a blow to the Stop Killing Games movement, founded in 2024 by blogger Ross Scott. Activists believe that the transition to digital distribution deprives buyers of full ownership of games, the ability to resell them, lend them, and creates the risk of losing access after servers are shut down.
Despite an appeal from almost 50 MEPs to Ursula von der Leyen calling for measures to protect consumers, the European Commission stated that companies are free to choose how to distribute their products, provided they do not violate the fundamental rights of buyers.