It's not about physical vs. digital games, it's about ownership
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Removing physical discs from consoles eliminates consumer ownership, resale, and game preservation.
Sony will stop producing discs for new games starting January 2028. The author argues the real issue is not losing the disc itself but losing ownership rights: the ability to trade games, preserve them, and have purchasing options outside Sony's store. PC digital is not comparable because PC remains an open platform with DRM-free stores like GOG, and Steam games can be played offline with community tools. The author predicts console makers will eventually push toward subscription-only access, following Netflix's model.
The piece calls for supporting DRM-free stores, emulator developers, and preservation organizations, and for demanding digital ownership rights rather than just defending physical media.
What commenters are saying
Commenters broadly agree that subscription models and DRM erode ownership, and many highlight private servers and DRM-free stores as key countermeasures. Several note that online authentication servers (e.g., Minecraft) already cause access failures during outages, even when game binaries are available. One comment chain points out that console makers historically sought arcade-like recurring revenue, and that digital resale and revocation prevention need regulatory change. Some counter that digital ownership on Xbox has been stable for years, and that physical media degrades. A few suggest handhelds running Linux (Retroid Pocket, Miyoo Mini+) as an alternative ecosystem.