PlayStation's decision to end physical disc production in early 2028 has sparked backlash, including a "Don't Kill the Disc" petition. A Push Square survey of 6,454 PlayStation enthusiasts found 45% seriously considering switching to PC gaming, with 41% citing the end of physical media as their primary reason.

Xbox is following suit with the rumored Xbox Helix console, which may feature a disc-to-digital attestation system instead of a disc drive. Leaks suggest the Helix will effectively be a PC-console hybrid with no custom APU, reflecting Microsoft's strategy of treating PC and Xbox as a unified platform.

Pricing concerns compound the issue. Rumors place the PS6 bill of materials near $1,000, and only 14% of 5,664 survey respondents said they'd buy at that price. Another 29% would build a gaming PC instead, while 29% would skip the generation entirely — eroding the traditional console price advantage.

Both companies are retreating from cross-platform releases toward exclusives, even as former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida disputes that PC ports cannibalize console sales. The consensus: Sony is doubling down on exclusives because PC has become a genuinely competitive alternative, not just a complementary platform.