{"id":17708,"date":"2026-07-26T10:58:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T05:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17708"},"modified":"2026-07-26T10:58:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T05:58:02","slug":"how-playstation-should-have-handled-the-news-about-going-all-digital-readers-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17708","title":{"rendered":"How PlayStation should have handled the news about going all-digital &#8211; Reader\u2019s Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304396234-bf0d.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29077418\" alt=\"PlayStation logo\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Sony could hardly have handled things worse (Sony interactive Entertainment)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/sony\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">Sony<\/a> still under siege from fans angry about abandoning physical media for the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/playstation-5\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">PS5<\/a>, a reader describes what he thinks they should do to placate their critics.<\/p>\n<p>Sony with its PlayStation brand has not exactly been popular with its recent <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/23\/ps5-developers-told-not-talk-physical-games-socials-29207795\/\">decision to go all-digital by 2028<\/a>. This choice not only affects anyone who prefers physical media but also those who strongly support video game history preservation. With physical media you can play your games on other accounts and do not need to be online to download a copy of the game, but instead can install the game from the disc. Also, you are able to play this game on other PlayStation consoles should anything happen to your console, if it breaks down.<\/p>\n<p>Sony has failed to take into account that if you own digital games they can be lost on your account, should anything happen to it, and if your hard drive goes on your PlayStation console you have to redownload these games. While going all digital would be convenient for Sony it has to many current flaws with it and Sony has rushed this out too fast and too soon.<\/p>\n<p>So what could be done by Sony to win over trust from gamers and to persuade more people to endorse and support the slow transfer from physical to digital media, without affecting stores who sell physical media?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automatic physical media to digital media transfer licence<\/h2>\n<p><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/microsoft\/\">Microsoft<\/a>\u2019s <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/xbox-series-x\/\">Xbox Series X<\/a> has a great feature that allows players to insert any Xbox disc that is supported, to download a free digital copy of the game if it is on the store. Sony needs to do this, as it gives physical media supporters, and stores who rely on physical media, a way to continue their trade after 2028.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Sign up to the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/newsletters\/game-central\/\"><strong>GameCentral newsletter<\/strong><\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact previous and existing developers to offer digital versions of their games<\/h2>\n<p>If older games are not available digitally then Sony should be in talks with their creators, if they are still around, to offer digital versions of these games so that they can be sold to others who don\u2019t have them. This would be another great perk for players and would help people over time accept digital media if these options continue to be supported, which would also be a great help to games stores who rely on physical media.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reduce the prices of digital versions of games from time to time<\/h2>\n<p>Sony\u2019s digital prices could be reduced to allow better deals for gamers who are reluctant about digital media and for those who feel digital game prices are unfair. Offering reductions on games, even if temporary, would also be a great way to persuade others to consider owning some digital games. It would show that Sony is listening to its customers\u2019 concerns and is not being greedy with its prices and would convince fans they are taking this seriously.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"PS4 celebrates its 10 year anniversary \ud83c\udf89 What game were you playing at launch?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XHRc9JcERDA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create a new studio for the preservation of PlayStation games<\/h2>\n<p>One other good way for Sony to win people over to digital is to create a studio that is dedicated to the preservation of its PlayStation games library. This studio could work with developers and publishers who did great PlayStation classics of the past and help get them remastered, which with it being a Sony studio could get around a lot of licence issues as well as save time in getting them released more quickly. This would show gamers that Sony supports video game preservation and give fans something to be proud of while also accepting a digital future.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, Sony has gone about this the wrong way. Sony\u2019s choices were made too fast and too soon and engaged at the wrong time. These factors are all going to go against them and I can\u2019t see this working out in helping them sell enough <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/playstation-6\/\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\">PlayStation 6<\/a> consoles. Instead, it will only deter more people from buying a PlayStation 6 and they will only stick with their current consoles for longer.<\/p>\n<p>Unless Sony does these things, I can\u2019t see this working out too well for them and most gamers won\u2019t bother to buy a PlayStation 6 without the security of knowing their physical media purchases are protected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>By reader gaz be rotten (gamertag)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304509619-9ca2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29088127\" alt=\"Multiple Xbox game boxes to illustrate backwards compatibility\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Should Sony have taken a cue from Xbox? (Microsoft)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>The reader\u2019s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><em>You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><em>Just contact us at <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/26\/playstation-handled-news-going-all-digital-readers-feature-29217883\/mailto:gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk\">gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a> or use our <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/submit-stuff\/\">Submit Stuff page<\/a> and you won\u2019t need to send an email.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/26\/10-best-arcade-archives-games-modern-consoles-readers-feature-29217808\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">The 10 best Arcade Archives games on modern consoles &#8211; Reader&#8217;s Feature<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/25\/smashed-target-complete-one-video-game-every-month-readers-feature-29217745\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">How I smashed my target to complete one video game every month &#8211; Reader\u2019s Feature<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/25\/kids-dont-like-video-games-a-massive-problem-readers-feature-29217650\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">Kids don\u2019t like video games and that\u2019s a massive problem &#8211; Reader&#8217;s Feature<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card accent--gaming\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-end-card__inner\">\n<h4>GameCentral<\/h4>\n<p>Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sony could hardly have handled things worse (Sony interactive Entertainment) With Sony still under siege from fans angry about abandoning physical media for the PS5, a reader describes what he thinks they should do to placate their critics. Sony with its PlayStation brand has not exactly been popular with its recent decision to go all-digital&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_304396234-bf0d_1784921142.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200&h=630&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}