Sony posted a trailer. Fans responded with a revolt, just not the kind anyone expected.
The freshly dropped trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil film, directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons), landed on PlayStation's official YouTube channel this week. Within hours, the comment section transformed into something Sony's social media team probably did not anticipate: a coordinated, genuinely funny protest against the company's decision to phase out physical PlayStation game discs by 2028.
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The comments that turned a movie trailer into a statement
With nearly 2,000 comments at the time of writing, the Resident Evil trailer page reads less like a hype thread and more like a town hall. The top-voted comments are sharp. "He's transporting the last physical game copy in existence" sits near the top, alongside "I cannot wait to get the physical version of this." Someone quipped "Luckily, there was an old typewriter upstairs, and he was able to save," a direct callback to the classic Resident Evil save mechanic. And then there's the one that cuts deepest: "Leon... where are the physical discs?"
These are not random complaints. They are coordinated, self-aware jokes that land precisely because they use the Resident Evil setting as a mirror for what fans see as Sony abandoning a core part of gaming culture.
Why PlayStation's channel specifically
Here's the thing: the Resident Evil film is a Sony Pictures production, which is why it ended up on PlayStation's YouTube page. The movie itself has no direct connection to the PlayStation platform beyond the corporate family tree. But that Sony connection was enough. Fans spotted the opportunity and took it.
It is worth noting the scale of frustration this reflects. Over 220,000 people have already signed a petition asking Sony to reverse the 2028 disc phase-out decision. Industry analysts largely expect Sony to hold the line regardless, pointing to the dramatic decline in physical game sales over recent years as the commercial justification.
The disc debate has a new front: retail boxes without discs
Rockstar Games is already moving in the same direction with GTA 6, priced at $80 and shipping without a physical disc. Retail boxes will exist, but they contain only a download code. In Japan, that code has a 170-day redemption window before it expires, making it arguably the first major release with a literal best-before date on the physical product.
Sony's 2028 deadline is still a few years out, but the GTA 6 situation shows the industry is not waiting around for that deadline to arrive. The comment section on PlayStation's own YouTube page suggests players are paying close attention.
The movie itself, briefly
Lost in all the disc discourse is the fact that the Resident Evil film actually has serious momentum behind it. Cregger's previous two films generated genuine critical buzz, and early reactions to the trailer have been positive outside of the comment section politics. The film hits theaters on September 18.
If you're planning to play Resident Evil Requiem ahead of the film's release, check out our guide on how to play Resident Evil Requiem early using the New Zealand trick to get a head start. And once you're in, the game's resource management is no joke, so brushing up on ammo conservation strategies for Resident Evil Requiem will save you a lot of frustration in the later chapters.
The disc conversation is not going away before September 18, and Sony's own platforms keep handing fans fresh venues to make that point. For everything Resident Evil Requiem, our full gaming guides hub has you covered as the release window approaches.
