Sony is currently offering PlayStation Plus members who wish to cancel their subscriptions a rare discount of up to 50 percent. The system is being applied automatically and has already been reported by users on Reddit who wanted to end their subscriptions in protest.
The reason for the wave of cancellations could be Sony's announcement on July 1st that it will completely cease production of physical games from January 2028. Those who want to cut off their subscriptions to the platform now are being enticed with discounts during the cancellation process.
The algorithm counteracts
It's perfectly normal for subscription services to try and retain customers who are about to cancel with last-minute deals. Sony is now specifically using this automated method in damage control mode. Anyone who wants to cancel an annual subscription will receive according to reports According to Reddit and other platforms, discounts of between 25 and 33 percent are being offered. For three-month memberships, the system even goes up to half the price.
This is a slap in the face for loyal, long-standing customers. Normally, discount promotions like the "Days of Play" are almost exclusively reserved for new or returning customers. Now, all it takes is a click on the cancellation button to grab the best deal of the year.
The contradiction in the protest
Herein lies the problem for everyone who wants to make a real statement against a purely digital PlayStation future. Those who accept the offer to save money are sabotaging their own protest. Sony will still get the money in the end.
For players whose subscriptions are about to expire and who simply want to pay less, this news offers tangible benefits. Using the cancellation option in their PSN account could currently translate into a significant saving in euros. Whether Sony will keep the system online if demand becomes too high remains to be seen.
This move shows that the protests following the announced discontinuation of discs in 2028 are having an effect. The action appears uncoordinated and contradicts Sony's pricing policy of recent months. A genuine protest looks different than simply offering a discounted version.
I only buy digital products on sale; I don't want to spend €100 just for a license! I pre-ordered the launch edition of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced from Media Markt. Only Media Markt includes the steelbook, which is great! You actually have something tangible and something to display on your shelf. Recently, some self-righteous weirdo actually tried to tell me that physical games are environmental pollution. Huh? Physical games are environmental pollution? I had absolutely no idea we buy these games and then dump tons of them in the trash. 😂
God, please let brains rain down!
Personally, I won't be buying GTA 6 or the PS6, just like I won't be buying the Switch 2 or the next Xbox! Yes, the Switch 2 is also digital-only! Selling empty cartridges and pretending they're physical media—typical Nintendo! I already have a huge backlog anyway, since I own a massive collection. Every console ever released, even those that never made it to Europe. Even rarities like the Neo Geo and Virtual Boy. In addition, I own 13.000 games, three real arcade machines, and pinball machines. I have even more movies—20.000 films on VHS, Video Disc, DVD, and Blu-ray. Of course, I also have two €5000 PCs. I even have physical games for them from the pre-Steam era. Speaking of computers, I own everything from Commodore, including prototypes! Where do I even put all this stuff? I converted a carpentry workshop into an arcade/cinema. The renovation took two years.
That's definitely not true for Essential. My current subscription has been running for four weeks. I'll either get a refund if I cancel immediately, or it will expire automatically. No discount offer...
Anyone who has a PS Plus subscription does so precisely for the digital offerings. Every month there are free games, exclusive offers, and games from the library. It makes no sense to protest against digital technology if you yourself use it and benefit from it, doesn't it?
For me, for example, it's worth it.
Even if only 5 games a year were added to PSN Essentials or Extra that I enjoyed, it would still be worth paying €125 a year.
But usually there are significantly more.
"Now, all it takes is a click on the cancellation button to grab the best deal of the year."
Not for me; when I cancel, it only asks twice. Then I cancel. I can reactivate the subscription for €125 until the deadline.
🙁
I also had a subscription for over 10 years and recently cancelled it due to the price increases, but also after protesting. I didn't receive such an offer. Perhaps because I let it "expire" instead of cancelling "immediately" for a refund?
Words fail me; anyone who still defends this club has lost control of their life, regardless of exclusive games and hardware.
Why defend? There's nothing to defend. A look at the numbers is enough.
Like many others, I bought my last disc for the PS3 in 2012 😂
85% of all games are now sold digitally. Revenue from physical media accounts for only 5%.
You might be annoyed. But you're in the vast minority. The majority haven't bought physical copies for a long time.
The so-called 85% figure is comprised of DLC, scam trophies, microtransactions (like V-Bucks), PS Plus, and longer availability in the store. Even games that were flops are still available in retail stores; they are prioritized based on recency and demand. No one, for example, goes to a store and buys Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite. First, the game is already too old, and second, it was a flop, meaning it was quickly withdrawn from stores or discounted through clearance sales, so that physical copies are hardly available, while you can still buy it in the store. Furthermore, the fourth quarter was chosen, as people are known to spend more freely then, leading to many spontaneous purchases, including digital ones, for example, because they don't want the stress of buying gifts in stores at Christmas. This 85% figure is more hype than substance. I've been a digital-only user since the PS4 generation, as I've mentioned several times, but I still think Sony's actions are at least worthy of criticism. Since the PS5 generation, Sony has been doing things that are anti-consumer, but there are still people who defend Sony and try to justify everything by blaming inflation, etc.
You know, I've long since given up on the idea that people will change their behavior. They won't because they've become blinded consumers, but at least they criticize it. Most aren't even capable of that, because that would mean admitting they've made a mistake with their purchasing habits.
And on the internet, nobody makes mistakes; everyone is an expert, a linguistics professor, and upper middle class in terms of income.
The community of hypocrites, and for all I care, I'm the king of it (before that argument comes up).
Internal Sony documents leaked following the major hack of Insomniac Games reveal that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End tops the list of games with the highest percentage of physical sales, accounting for 83 percent. The leaked data surprisingly showed that of 33 major first-party blockbusters (single-player story games) examined, a remarkable 31 were sold more frequently as physical discs than digitally on the PlayStation Store. This stands in stark contrast to Sony's public statements, which often suggest a purely digital dominance due to DLC, free-to-play titles, and indie games.
Don't be fooled!
I still buy discs every now and then because I'm afraid Sony will take away the games. It happened to my nephew. I don't think it's a minority, even though I also buy some digitally, like today, whatever. What's important to me, I buy on disc.
I cancelled my contract yesterday. Partly as a protest, partly because it's simply too expensive for me, and as an existing customer I felt increasingly cheated.
Actually, the discs were just the tip of the iceberg.
Today I read this and… Well, I didn't receive such an offer, and I've had a subscription for many, many, many years.