Former PlayStation Execs Recreate Iconic Xbox Disc-Sharing Mockery — But This Time There Are No Physical Games

Former PlayStation executives Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes have recreated their famous game-sharing instructional video, just as Sony steers the industry toward a disc-free future.

Even if you weren't gaming much in 2013, you probably remember the "Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video." The viral 20-second clip featured then-Sony leaders Boyes and Yoshida giving a cheeky guide to sharing physical PS4 games, and it has racked up 21.3 million YouTube views in the 13 years since it debuted.

Back then, Sony was taking a clear and successful swipe at Microsoft and its troubled Xbox One launch plans. Fast forward 13 years, and Sony's plan to eliminate physical discs means game sharing on PlayStation will look very different by 2028. With the end of discs looming, Boyes and Yoshida reunited at Tokyo Game Show to recreate that legendary moment — and unfortunately, there were no physical games in sight.

"Met with a best friend," Yoshida posted, accompanied by a smiling emoji.

The two posed for photos at Tokyo Game Show, calling back to the moment that has lived rent-free in gamers' minds for years. It was clearly a fun nod to PlayStation's past, but the future looks bleak, and fans have mixed feelings.

"This picture of Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes from Tokyo Game Show is making the rounds," the physical games X/Twitter account @DoesItPlay1 wrote. "Seemingly mocking current anti-consumer PlayStation for killing the philosophy behind their once famous pro-consumer mockery of Xbox regarding physical game sharing."

"This is how you share games with your friends in 2028," another fan added, referencing the lack of games in their hands.

Sony announced in July of this year that it would stop producing physical discs for new video games starting in January 2028. The move has put the PlayStation company in hot water for months, and despite recent soft sales for game discs, fans aren't planning to let the topic go anytime soon.

But in July, Sony insisted its decision wasn't impacting its business and didn't predict any negative impact in the future either. When Sony announced the news, it said it was simply following consumer trends. "In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only," Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, said in a PlayStation Blog post.

There are of course instances of companies reversing controversial decisions amid backlash, but as analysts have told IGN, it remains unlikely that Sony will U-turn on this. For Sony, going all-digital for new game releases will earn it more money from every sale at a time when console sales are expected to plummet due to rising costs.

For a first-party PlayStation game such as Marvel's Wolverine, Sony will only keep around 65% of the revenue from a physical copy, with about 30% going to the retailer and roughly another 5% on manufacturing costs. Meanwhile, for a physical copy of a third-party game such as the Activision-published Call of Duty, Sony will get a licensing fee, likely around 15%.

As Microsoft introduces a new feature that will allow Xbox players to digitize their physical games, it's hard not to notice the irony of where game sharing stands in 2026. While we wait to see how it all plays out, you can read why one IGN writer called Sony's decision both concerning and offensive.