Hello darkness my old friend
by Sammy Barker
Irate PS5 players have started unplugging their consoles all around the world, as a protest against Sony gets underway.
The blackout – technically scheduled to start at 7pm local time, but already being observed by many participants – is designed to reduce the Japanese giant’s active users, a key performance metric for the company.
Campaigners suggest participants should keep their consoles unplugged from today through 30th August as a minimum. That means no logins, no gaming, and certainly no spending through the PS Store.
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While the protest is primarily aimed at Sony’s decision to cease manufacturing physical discs in January 2028, organisers also argue that the company has grown “further apart from its fan base”.
Earlier this week, a Push Square poll concluded 92% of enthusiasts believe PS Studios would benefit from new management, after stories emerged it was rebooting development on spin-off game Horizon Hunters Gathering.
As of its most recent financial report, Sony attracted around 125 million monthly active users, an increase year-over-year. I think this number would have to drop precipitously to have any kind of effect.
Speaking with investors about potential boycotts and PS Plus cancellations, Sony’s CFO Lin Tao said it’s not seeing any “impact on our business”.
This organised and widely publicised blackout campaign may be protesters’ best opportunity to get the company’s attention, then. Will you be taking part?
[source x.com]
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.
