Sony’s September 2026 State of Play arrived during a growing dispute over physical PlayStation 5 games. Instead of focusing on the showcase, many viewers used the live chat to demand a change to Sony’s disc plans and ask for Destiny 3.
A new policy adds to the tension
Earlier in September, Sony announced a new harassment policy for customers in Japan. The company said it could involve law enforcement or pursue legal action when people engage in prohibited conduct.
Among the behaviour covered by the policy are threats against employees, discrimination and repeated or “prolonged” demands that are not related to Sony’s products or services. Some PlayStation fans interpreted the announcement as a response to protests over Sony’s decision to stop producing physical PS5 discs in 2028.
What happened during State of Play?
Thursday’s presentation included announcements for upcoming PlayStation games and hardware. Highlights included a PlayStation Lego set and a release date for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation.
Those announcements struggled to dominate the conversation. The YouTube chat filled with requests for Destiny 3, repeated “NO DISC NO BUY” messages and streams of CD emojis. The live chat is no longer available now that the presentation has ended, but the same complaints continued in the video’s comments.
For readers following the wider arcade and gaming news, the reaction is another example of how hardware policy can overshadow software announcements.
Why fans are objecting
Several highly rated comments framed the protest as a consumer-rights issue. One argued that players should be able to own the games they purchase, while another used a wordplay-heavy reference to discs and discovering new games during State of Play.
The anger has also been fuelled by recent court arguments from Sony that people do not actually own their digital games. Combined with the new conduct policy, that position has encouraged some fans to intensify their opposition.
A showcase competing with broader concerns
The response was not only about physical media. Outside Grand Theft Auto 6 and Marvel’s Wolverine, commenters described Sony’s upcoming slate as thin. With fewer major announcements to redirect attention, the disc controversy remained central throughout the presentation.
“The live chat being left on was the most entertaining part of the stream,” one viewer wrote.
“This State of Play could have been an email,” said another.
The dispute reflects a familiar hardware question: whether buying a game should mean owning a durable physical copy or holding access to a digital licence. For anyone weighing different formats and setups, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide offers a separate starting point for choosing dedicated gaming hardware.
What to watch next
- Whether Sony changes or clarifies its physical PS5 disc production plans for 2028.
- How the Japanese harassment policy is applied to persistent customer demands.
- Whether future PlayStation showcases provide enough major announcements to shift attention back to new games.
- Whether requests for Destiny 3 receive any official response.
For a more hands-on alternative to living-room consoles, explore RETROCADE’s range of arcade machines, including space-saving bartop arcade cabinets. Enthusiasts planning their own build can also compare arcade parts.
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