Last week, PlayStation announced that it would be ending physical video game disc production for new games in 2028. This angered a lot of people, not just collectors and superfans. Now players trying to cancel their PlayStation Plus accounts in protest are being offered discounts to stay, discovering how desperate Sony and other companies are to keep people hooked on subscriptions.
On July 1, Sony announced that starting in January 2028, it would no longer manufacture physical discs for new video games. In the days that followed, people across the internet yelled at PlayStation and Sony across every part of the web. The company was also roasted by big names, like Trevor Noah, and brands, like KFC and Domino’s Pizza. Some players fed up with Sony’s decision have begun canceling their PS Plus subscriptions and are now being offered a choice: Ditch Sony to prove a point, or take the devil’s deal and get a big discount on PS Plus.
“In protest to Sony going all digital, I tried to cancel my subscription,” posted one PlayStation user on Reddit on Monday. “But they hit me with a 50% off [deal] if I resubscribe. Haha.” They shared a screenshot of the PlayStation app with an offer from Sony for three months of PS Plus at half price. Others claimed to have received similar offers while trying to quit and boycott Sony. One user was offered 25 percent off a 12-month PS Plus subscription despite accepting an offer earlier in the year to extend their plan at a discounted rate. Others claimed that the same scenario happened to them, too.
“Same, but I didn’t take the bait,” replied one Reddit user. “Not supporting Sony with a single dime until they reverse this fiasco.”
To be clear: It is extremely unlikely that Sony has flipped some switch on the back end to try to keep people subscribed to PS Plus following its poorly received announcement of the death of physical discs. Instead, this is just how companies that are desperate to keep subscriber numbers up and money flowing in tend to react when you try to leave.
I’ve actually taken advantage of this “Don’t cancel” discount before with my PlayStation Plus account. And Sony isn’t alone in trying to keep people on the hook. I’ve had numerous apps and services offer me great deals right before I’m about to quit if I just sign up for a few more months. I’ve used this tactic a few times in the past to save a decent amount of money on subs I wanted to keep, but which were getting too pricey.
However, for many, even a sizable discount won’t be enough to win them back after Sony’s decision to end physical games and move to being completely digital. For these players, PlayStation will have to reverse course if it wants to win them back. Considering what PlayStation tweeted after nearly a week of silence, that seems unlikely.