Following reports of Sony discontinuing physical discs for new games, a new wave of discussions has erupted online, now related not only to the abandonment of physical media but also to the company's policy regarding PlayStation Network accounts.
The main cause for concern is the inability to change the PSN account region. Unlike other major gaming platforms, Sony still does not allow users to transfer an account to another country after moving. At the same time, the service rules prohibit creating accounts for regions where the user does not actually reside, although in practice, the company has not enforced sanctions for such cases for a long time.
According to some members of the community, PlayStation's transition to a fully digital model could change the situation. Users fear that Sony will begin to more strictly enforce its own rules to prevent the purchase of games through cheaper regional stores. In such a case, account holders registered in other countries may face serious problems.
The issue is particularly acute for those who moved to another country years after creating their account. Many players have accumulated extensive digital libraries, including games obtained through PS Plus subscriptions, purchased projects, and add-ons. However, not all countries are officially supported by PlayStation Network, which means that even if a region change function were to appear, some users would not be able to use it.
This problem affects not only individual players. According to participants in a Reddit discussion, millions of PlayStation owners live in regions where PSN is officially unavailable, or continue to use accounts created in other countries. Amidst the possible complete abandonment of physical media, they fear that they may one day lose access to their digital purchases.
Further concern is raised by the fact that Sony has already been criticized for situations where digital content disappeared from users' libraries after licensing changes. Because of this, many fear that if the company's policy tightens, owners of such accounts will have no effective way to protect their purchases.
Sony has not yet commented on these concerns and has not announced any plans to change the rules for PSN regions.