The PS Blackout movement had no measurable impact on player engagement in the United States, according to Circana executive director Mat Piscatella. Responding to a question about whether the protest produced any noticeable changes, Piscatella said there was “no significant change at all in player count or engagement in our tracking.”
Piscatella shared Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker data for the week ending September 5, 2026, which measures weekly active users rather than concurrent players. The data covered the top 10 and top 20 titles across the US market, with Piscatella also highlighting several movements in the charts.
The PS Blackout was organized by gaming preservation advocacy groups including DoesItPlay and called on PlayStation users to stop using Sony platforms during late August. Participants were encouraged to avoid logging in, playing games and making purchases in an effort to demonstrate the potential impact of reduced engagement and spending.
The protest followed Sony’s decision to reduce physical game disc production, with the company indicating that the broader transition toward digital distribution would be gradual. The move generated criticism from preservation advocates and players concerned about game ownership, digital access, physical media and the decline of retail and resale markets.
However, based on Circana’s tracking, the PS Blackout did not produce a significant change in player activity.
