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PlayStation’s famous PS4 disc-sharing gag returns without the disc

Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes recreated their 2013 used-game handoff at Tokyo Game Show, turning an old Xbox jab into an awkward snapshot of Sony’s digital future.

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Former PlayStation executives Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes pose with empty hands as if passing a game case at Tokyo Game Show 2026.

TLDR

Former PlayStation executives Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes reunited at Tokyo Game Show 2026 and recreated the pose from Sony’s 2013 “Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video.” The original clip showed Yoshida handing Boyes a PS4 disc as a pointed contrast to Microsoft’s proposed Xbox One DRM rules. This time, their hands were empty. Neither man framed the photo as a protest, but the missing disc gives the old joke new bite as Sony plans to stop producing physical games in 2028.

Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes have recreated one of PlayStation’s sharpest marketing moments, only this time there was no game to pass between them.

The former PlayStation executives reunited at the company’s booth during Tokyo Game Show 2026. Yoshida shared two photos from the meeting, calling Boyes “a best friend.” In one, the pair face the camera with their hands held out as if they are exchanging an invisible game case.

The pose mirrors Sony’s 2013 “Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video”, a 22-second clip released amid criticism of Microsoft’s original Xbox One policies. In the video, Yoshida explains how to share a PS4 game, then simply hands a physical copy of Killzone: Shadow Fall to Boyes. The blunt joke helped PlayStation contrast its approach with Microsoft’s proposed DRM checks and restrictions on used games.

The missing disc changes the joke

The new image lands differently because Sony plans to stop producing physical games in 2028. A gesture that once celebrated the simplicity of lending a disc now shows the same two people passing nothing at all.

There is no indication Yoshida or Boyes meant the photo as a formal protest. As GamesRadar+ noted, the post reads more like a friendly reunion than a deliberate attack on their former employer. The visual irony did not need much help, though: 13 years later, PlayStation’s old used-game punchline has become a compact picture of the industry’s shift away from discs.

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8 Sources, first seen 6d ago

PlayStation’s famous PS4 disc-sharing gag returns without the disc

TLDR

The missing disc changes the joke

Combined views

PlayStation’s famous PS4 disc-sharing gag returns without the disc

8 Sources

Combined views

The missing disc changes the joke

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Summary

TLDR

The missing disc changes the joke

Sentiment

Summary

Sentiment

Summary

8 Sources