PlayStation blackout fails to dent US player engagement, Circana data shows

A week-long boycott of PlayStation platforms in late August, organised to protest Sony's phase-out of physical game discs from 2028, produced no measurable change in US player counts or engagement, per market researcher Circana. The result casts doubt on the campaign's near-term leverage over Sony's digital-only shift.

Bottom line — Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said tracking found “no significant change at all” in US player activity during the blackout.

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• The #PS5Blackout ran from 23 to 30 August, with groups like DoesItPlay urging players to avoid logging in, playing games or making purchases, per multiple reports.
• Circana's Player Engagement Tracker measures weekly active users among the top 10 and top 20 US titles, not concurrent players or total PlayStation usage, per Tbreak Media and Shane the Gamer.
• Sony had already told shareholders it expected no impact from the protest, according to Soplayit, and roughly 80% of PlayStation software sales are already digital, per the same outlet.
• The blackout's timing overlapped with the Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay reveal and the Modern Warfare 4 beta, events that typically boost engagement and pre-orders, IGN noted.
• Organisers said after the week that a minimum participation threshold had been met and called for further action, per Shane the Gamer, though Circana's data suggests the initial turnout was insufficient to register.

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