Microsoft’s answer to the end of PlayStation discs: a bizarre GitHub stunt
Microsoft responded to Sony's discontinuation of PlayStation discs with an unusual GitHub stunt, uploading commits that mock the move while promoting its own digital-first strategy. The stunt highlights the ongoing rivalry between the two companies as the gaming industry shifts toward all-digital distribution.
Background
- Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro (released 2016) lacked a 4K Blu-ray drive, a surprise omission that broke with the expectation that “Pro” models would support the latest disc format for movies/games. The article is an (archived) piece reacting to that news.
- GitHub is a Microsoft-owned platform where developers host and collaborate on code. Using it for stunts — like uploading a script that is just a joke — was a common form of tech trolling.
- The “bizarre GitHub stunt” refers to a script posted by a Microsoft employee (or someone posing as one) that “fixed” Sony’s omission by sarcastically burning a hole in a standard PS4 to make its drive “fit” a 4K disc — a joke mocking Sony’s decision.
- At the time, Microsoft and Sony were locked in the console wars of the 8th generation (PS4 vs. Xbox One). The stunt played into that rivalry, with Microsoft’s camp tweaking Sony over a perceived hardware misstep.
- This matters because it captures a moment when physical media format support (4K Blu-ray) became a wedge issue between the two consoles, and because it illustrates how tech companies used developer platforms like GitHub for public relations jabs.