PlayStation Blackout: the “not for sale” clause has existed since 2014
Credit: Crédit : Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation Blackout: the “not for sale” clause has existed since 2014

Fabian Fabian Lainé
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In brief

The #PSBlackout movement shook the PlayStation community in August, revealing a legal clause dating back to 2014: games are not sold, but licensed. Far from being a hidden novelty, this condition has existed for years across all platforms. But the planned discontinuation of the disc in 2028 changes everything: without physical media, players lose their right to resell, lend, and access games offline.

The #PSBlackout movement shut down PlayStation consoles from August 23 to 30. Launched by the preservation collective DoesItPlay and relayed by Stop Killing Games, it calls for players to stop connecting, playing, or buying on Sony's platforms, in protest of the planned end of disc production set for January 2028.

A few days earlier, an email from Sony recapping the entirety of PlayStation's terms landed in inboxes. Players singled out article 1.4 of the end user license agreement, whose official English wording is blunt: “The software is licensed to you, not sold.”

The clause is nothing new

It wasn't written for the occasion. The French terms already stated, back in March 2014: “All software is licensed, not sold.” The current wording has been online since March 2026, and the terms of use date back to April 2026. There is nothing to suggest Sony amended them in response to the blackout.

What the end of discs changes

As long as a disc exists, it carries the license: you can resell it, lend it, or replay it offline. Without it, all that remains is the account. Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo all state the same thing, but Sony is the only manufacturer to announce the total end of discs, confirmed on July 1 by Sid Shuman on the PlayStation Blog.

The “Don't Kill the Disc” petition has surpassed 372,000 signatures, against 95.3 million PS5 units sold as of the end of June. Sony CFO Lin Tao reiterated to analysts that content digitization is progressing everywhere. The organizers present these seven days as a bare minimum.

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Frequently asked questions

Since when has Sony stated that games are not sold but licensed?
Since March 2014, ten years before the blackout. This clause has been in the French terms since the beginning and was not changed in reaction to the 2024 controversy.
Why is this clause a problem now and not before?
Because Sony announced the complete discontinuation of discs in January 2028. As long as physical media exists, you can resell, lend, and play offline. Without discs, the digital model becomes mandatory and players lose these rights.
Do other platforms (Steam, Xbox, Nintendo) state the same thing?
Yes, absolutely. They have long used similar wording. Sony is not the exception on this point, but it is the only one announcing the total end of physical support, which makes it vulnerable to criticism.
How many people are asking Sony to keep the discs?
The "Don't kill the disc" petition has surpassed 372,000 signatures, which remains marginal compared to the 95.3 million PS5 units sold, but it crystallizes real frustration among players attached to physical media.

Key takeaways

  • Sony's "not sold" clause dates back to March 2014, well before the August 2024 blackout.
  • Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo have used the same legal wording for a long time, Sony didn't invent it.
  • The real issue: without physical discs after 2028, only digital accounts will remain, with no possibility of resale or lending.
  • The "Don't kill the disc" petition has gathered more than 372,000 signatures against 95 million PS5 units sold.

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