Sony’s State of Play Was Overshadowed By Angry PS5 Fan Demands
Overview & Key Takeaways
September's PS5 State of Play showcase was full of angry fans asking for new disc policies or demanding the development of Destiny 3
In early September 2026, Sony announced it was adopting a new harassment policy in Japan prohibiting its customers from exhibiting specific types of behavior. If PlayStation fans broke its rules, Sony said it reserved the right to work with law enforcement, or to seek legal action against the offending parties. For many, the policies came across as Sony's answer to the ongoing protest against the publisher's decision to end physical PlayStaion 5 disc production in 2028. Yet a few days after the new decree, fans continue to bang the drum as loudly as ever.
Thursday brought with it Sony's latest State of Play presentation, where the publisher announced upcoming games and hardware for PlayStation platforms. There were some notable announcements, like the reveal of the PlayStation Lego set and the release date of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. The YouTube chat did not seem to care about any of the specifics. Most messages either urged Sony to announce Destiny 3 or they were some variation of "NO DISC NO BUY." The chat was also full of CD emoji spam. The chat history is no longer viewable now that the presentation is done, but the YouTube comments have picked up the mantle.
What are PlayStation fans saying?
"We are protesting our consumer rights!" reads one top-voted YouTube comment. "'Play has no limits' unless you actually want to own the games you buy... smh," another wrote. "I love DISCovering new games in state of plays!" yet another chimed in.
Part of the strong pushback is related to the recent news that Sony is arguing in court that people cannot actually own their digital games. That, alongside the new policy, has made some people double down on their convictions.
The policy states that Sony will not tolerate problematic behavior, like threatening employees or discriminating against people. It also specifies that persistent or "prolonged" demands that are "unrelated to products or services" are no longer allowed.
The other likely contributor to Thursday's debacle is that, outside of Grand Theft Auto 6 and Marvel's Wolverine, Sony's slate is looking thin. Many commenters remarked that the presentation was disappointing, so there was nothing to distract people from the controversy.
"The live chat being left on was the most entertaining part of the stream," one YouTube viewer said. "This State of Play could have been an email," another opined.
