PlayStation survey on physical game sales after backlash over discs
IGN says PlayStation sent a major survey to developers about physical game sales after criticism of Sony’s shift away from discs.
- The reported questionnaire is tied to Sony’s move away from physical discs and the backlash that followed.
- Gene Park wrote on X that, according to his contacts, the survey was larger than almost any previous Sony survey.
What happened
IGN reported on 24 September 2026 that PlayStation had sent a lengthy questionnaire to game developers about how physical games are sold. The report links the move to Sony’s decision to scale back physical discs for new PlayStation games, a decision IGN says drew backlash.
The claim in the supplied sources does not come from an official Sony statement. IGN says it is based on comments from Tom on the Broken Silicon podcast, who reportedly said his contacts had heard about a large survey sent to developers. According to that account, Sony was indirectly asking whether there is a problem with how games are sold physically.
Gene Park shared a similar read on X. In his post, he said Sony had sent a survey to developers that, according to his contacts, was bigger than nearly all previous Sony surveys, with a question along the lines of whether there is a problem with how games are sold physically. The exact wording of the questionnaire has not been confirmed in the supplied sources.
The sources also do not name the recipients, give the exact scope of the survey, or include an official response from Sony. It remains unclear whether the questionnaire went only to first-party studios, external partners, or a broader group of developers and publishers.
Timeline
24 September 2026: IGN reports that PlayStation is polling developers about physical game sales after backlash over discs.
24 September 2026: Tom says on the Broken Silicon podcast, according to IGN, that his contacts heard about a large Sony survey for developers.
24 September 2026: IGN says the survey was framed as an indirect question about whether there is a problem with physical sales.
24 September 2026: Gene Park writes on X that, according to his contacts, the survey was larger than almost any previous Sony survey.
24 September 2026: No official Sony response to the reported survey appears in the supplied sources.
Background
The reporting fits into a broader debate about the future of physical PlayStation releases. The source set refers to Sony’s shift toward fewer physical discs for new PlayStation games, but the supplied sources do not include an official Sony statement fully confirming that strategy.
The external context in the source set also refers to reports about January 2028 as the point when physical disc production for new PlayStation games would stop. In the core information supplied here, however, that remains a reported expectation or interpretation rather than an officially confirmed Sony target.
The Moore’s Law Is Dead YouTube source lines up with the IGN report, since its description also refers to a reported survey sent to developers and a question about selling games in physical form. That information is likewise second-hand and based on a podcast reference.
Related GAME-scanner articles
- PlayStation survey of 25 September 2026 asks about PS5 usage and console ownership
- Nippon Ichi Software discusses end of physical PlayStation discs in 2028 with Sony
- Sony may be asking developers for feedback on the end of PlayStation discs
Sources
- IGN: "PlayStation reportedly polling game developers after decision to kill discs sparks backlash" — 24 September 2026
- Broken Silicon Podcast, with Tom as the source cited in the IGN report
- X post by Gene Park, cited in the source set