PlayStation 5 players around the world have begun unplugging their consoles to participate in an organized protest against Sony. The blackout campaign, which officially commenced at 7pm local time, is designed to reduce Sony's active user metrics—a key performance indicator for the corporation.
What the Protest Involves
Campaigners are asking participants to keep their PS5 consoles unplugged from today through 30th August as a minimum. The boycott rules out logging in, playing gaming sessions, and making purchases on the PS Store.
While the primary catalyst for the movement is Sony's recent decision to cease manufacturing physical discs by January 2028, organizers also cite a growing friction between the company and its player base.
Sony's Stance and Business Impact
The grassroots protest arrives on the heels of other recent controversies, including polling data indicating widespread user dissatisfaction with PS Studios management following development reboots on spin-offs like Horizon Hunters Gathering.
Sony's monthly active user count sits at around 125 million, per recent financial reports. Responding to previous backlash regarding physical disc changes and potential PS Plus cancellations, CFO Lin Tao stated that the company was not seeing any impact on its business.