The catch here is that it’s a limited run. You can only get a CD-ROM of your public repository between July 2 and July 6, 2026, and supplies are limited. The first 1,000 eligible submissions will receive one copy, and you can only apply for one per person via GitHub’s form. Notably, there’s no talk of payment on the form, which could imply GitHub are sending these out for free. It seems like eligible users will have to sign up to find out for themselves.
You also own it from a copyright perspective. Any code you write yourself is your own, and GitHub is only given a license to use it when you choose to upload it there (and if you use GH Copilot I guess). You are free to copy and distribute your own code however you want with no regard to anybody else’s wishes. You may even choose to charge money for access to your code if you want.
The two are completely incomparable. Still, it’s a well-deserved jab at Sony, though somewhat of a pot-and-kettle situation when accounting for MS as a whole.