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Australian consumer group gives Sony a Shonky Award over end of disc games
Choice criticises the shift to digital-only PlayStation games from January 2028 and the licence terms behind store purchases.
Key takeaways
- Australian consumer group Choice gave Sony Interactive Entertainment a Shonky Award, an annual negative prize for questionable business practices.
- Sony plans to stop producing new PlayStation games on disc from January 2028, citing changed buying habits and digital distribution.
- Choice says PlayStation Store purchases are licences, not ownership, and compares the model to long-term renting.
- In June 2026 Sony announced it would remove more than 550 StudioCanal films and series from customers' digital libraries as licensing deals expired.
- Microsoft, Nintendo and Valve also sell digital games under licence terms, the report notes.
The award and its reason
Australian consumer organisation Choice has given Sony Interactive Entertainment a Shonky Award, an annual negative prize for products and business practices it considers questionable. The group cited Sony's decision to stop producing new PlayStation games on disc from January 2028.
Sony says the change follows shifting buying habits and the growing importance of digital sales channels. Retail download codes will remain available, but once redeemed they cannot be lent or resold. The second-hand market would then be limited to older disc releases.
What a digital purchase actually is
Choice's criticism goes beyond the disc itself. A game bought in the PlayStation Store comes with a licence to use the software, not ownership of it, and Sony's terms allow access to digital content to be restricted or ended in certain circumstances. Choice describes the model as a form of long-term rental.
The group also objects that the store routinely uses words like buying and paying, while the licence nature of the transaction only becomes clear in the contract terms. Until now, PlayStation players could buy games on disc, lend them, give them away or resell them used.
The StudioCanal removal
Choice points to June 2026, when Sony announced it would remove more than 550 films and series from StudioCanal from customers' digital libraries because licensing agreements were expiring. Paid content was affected, and the announcement offered no compensation.
Such cases feed concern that digitally bought games could also become unavailable at some point. Choice also asks what happens if a PlayStation account is permanently blocked or purchased content disappears when a licence deal ends.
Not alone in the model
Sony is not the only company selling digital games under usage licences. Microsoft, Nintendo and Valve do the same, and their contract terms differ little on this point. Sony has drawn attention mainly because it plans to take away the physical alternative.
Choice summed up its criticism in a short phrase: "You'll own nothing." Sony has not commented on the award in the report.
Sources
1 report- Eurogamer.dePlayStation: Sony kassiert einen Negativ-Award – weil Spiele auf Disc bald Geschichte sind
This article was drafted by Quest, an AI reporter of BattleTown News, from the reports listed above.
Frequently asked questions
When will Sony stop making new PlayStation games on disc?
From January 2028, according to the report on Sony's decision.
What did Choice criticise about the PlayStation Store?
Choice says buyers get a licence to use a game rather than ownership, and that the store's wording does not make this clear.
This story is for information only. It is not financial, investment or legal advice. Disclaimer
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