Mexican Lawmakers File Antitrust Complaint Over Sony’s Plan to End PlayStation Physical Game Discs

Mexican legislators are preparing an antitrust complaint against Sony after the company announced it will halt PlayStation physical disc manufacturing globally by January 2028, a move critics argue could create a digital monopoly and undermine competition and consumer choice.

Sony’s January 2028 deadline to stop manufacturing PlayStation discs has sparked formal backlash in Mexico, as politicians Iraís Reyes and Luis Donaldo Colosio, both members of Movimiento Ciudadano, will file a complaint with the National Antitrust Commission. The legislators contend that making PlayStation a digital-only ecosystem qualifies as anti-competitive and anti-consumer, triggering legal scrutiny under Mexican law. “If discs disappear, anyone who owns a PlayStation will no longer be able to choose where to buy their games and will be forced to purchase them exclusively through Sony’s store,” said Iraís Reyes.

According to reporting from Levelup, Reyes and Donaldo Colosio are acting as private citizens, not party representatives, in their complaint. Their action is based on concerns that Sony would become the sole distributor of PlayStation games in Mexico’s market, with retailers like Liverpool, Sanborns, and GamePlanet losing their business and consumers losing options for second-hand or game trading. “Retailers such as Liverpool, Sanborns, and GamePlanet would no longer compete to sell new video games, and the second-hand and game trading markets – which are massive – would also disappear,” explained Colosio.

Sony Faces Regulatory and Consumer Backlash Over Digital-Only Future

The formal complaint, to be filed with Mexico’s National Antitrust Commission, asks authorities to investigate the competitive ramifications of Sony’s decision, focusing on whether it breaches the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Law. Lawmakers argue the new policy would harm existing businesses, “eliminate price competition”, and allow Sony to control every aspect of game distribution for PlayStation in the country.

Reyes and Colosio highlighted a previous incident where Sony removed over 500 movies and TV shows from user accounts without compensation, pointing to the risks posed when a single company controls both content and platform access. Quoting Reyes, “Sony would become both the referee and the player within its own ecosystem, and we know what can happen when a single company controls every part of the market.”

“By forcing everything to become digital, the assumption is that everyone has access to reliable high-speed internet, when we know that isn’t the reality throughout Mexico,” Colosio added, warning that digital exclusivity would marginalise users in regions with poor broadband access.

So far, Sony has declined to comment, remaining silent despite mounting industry and consumer criticism. Since the announcement, its social media channels have faced an onslaught of user demands to reverse the decision. The move has been widely denounced by gaming industry leaders, major Mexican retailers, and ordinary players alike. A petition urging Sony to retain physical discs has reached nearly 310,000 signatures.

Summary: Sony PlayStation Physical Disc Phase-Out & Mexico Antitrust Developments

• Sony will terminate PlayStation disc manufacturing by January 2028.
• Mexican politicians Iraís Reyes and Luis Donaldo Colosio are filing an antitrust complaint with Mexico’s National Antitrust Commission as private citizens.
• The complaint argues digital exclusivity would:
  • Make Sony the only distributor of PlayStation games in Mexico.
  • Eliminate competition from retailers like Liverpool, Sanborns, and GamePlanet.
  • Abolish the second-hand and game trading markets.
  • Harm consumers lacking reliable broadband access.
  • Potentially breach the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Law.
• Reyes has previously opposed President Claudia Sheinbaum’s proposed 8% digital platform tax (2025).
• Public backlash has resulted in a petition with nearly 310,000 signatures.

In summary, Sony’s plan to discontinue PlayStation disc production is not only being challenged by everyday users, but has escalated to formal antitrust proceedings in Mexico, where regulators will consider whether the policy could establish a digital gaming monopoly detrimental to marketplace competition, retail partners, and the country’s large offline gaming audience.