A portion of the PlayStation fanbase is rallying behind a proposed blackout, which calls for players to ignore their consoles for a whole week – between August 23 and August 30. We’ve seen similar action being taken online, none of which Sony has officially addressed, such as the ‘Don’t kill the disc’ petition with just under 350,000 verified signatures (at the time of writing).

Last week, a former employee at the Sony-owned Santa Monica Studio suggested that “no amount” of petitioning would change the company’s mind. Either way, the organizers of the so-called #PSBlackout hope that “No logins, no play sessions, no purchases on any of Sony’s platforms” during the blackout period will trigger some kind of response.

Physical video game reviewer calls for a PlayStation blackout

We are calling on PlayStation players to participate in an economic and gameplay blackout from Sunday, August 23, at 7:00 PM local time through Sunday, August 30, at 7:00 PM local time. Players can participate by turning off their consoles or logging out for seven days. We feel that this period gives publishers and developers minimal impact while giving players a voice.

Does it play? (Physical video game reviewer and preservationist)

The organizers of #PSblackout say the August 23-30 timeframe has been chosen to have “minimal impact” on developers and publishers, many of which were reportedly blindsided by Sony’s decision. August is traditionally one of the quietest months for game releases, while September ramps up for the early Autumn period. A couple of releases worth mentioning in the proposed timeframe are Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy and Star Wars Zero Company (both on August 27).

It’s fair to say that a large-scale drop in player numbers and sales will impact Sony more than an online petition, but many people remain skeptical that it will make a real difference. Sales of physical discs haven’t yet seen an uptick despite all the backlash. On July 1, Sony announced the end of physical PlayStation discs, starting January 2028.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.