PlayStation’s decision to sunset physical game releases in 2028 remains an extremely controversial decision among both gamers and developers, despite a market that’s shifting more and more towards the dominance of digital sales. While acknowledging the disappointment of many, the Japanese company is not planning to revise its decision, and even former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida doesn’t understand if not having a disc is such a big issue.
Speaking in a new interview with GamerBraves, Yoshida-san confirmed he wasn’t aware PlayStation was planning to sunset discs in 2028. “But personally, I’m a totally digital consumer,” he added. “I don’t want to manage discs or swap discs. I want all my games on my dashboard, and I just select a game and play it. So, I’m completely digital.”
Although Yoshida-san understands the appeal of physical game releases, which he believes will continue to be a thing even when discs are no longer being produced, he doesn’t understand if not having a disc is such a big issue, considering how even physical releases rely heavily on updates and DLC.
“Even with physical disc games, in most cases, developers are constantly updating and adding game data anyway,” the former PlayStation boss said. “Anyone who chooses to purchase a physical version will still need to download new patches, DLC, or updates. So, not having a disc, I don’t understand if it’s such a big issue.”
For some users, however, Yoshida-san does understand why not having physical discs can be an issue for the used game market. “For those people who choose to buy or sell games, the lack of discs may become an issue,” he said. Promotions from publishers and seasonal sales like those on Steam will remain the way for offsetting prices not going down as much in a future without discs, the former PlayStation boss believes.
Although Yoshida-san shows how he does indeed understand why discs matter so much, it’s really weird how someone who has been in the industry for so long doesn’t seem to understand the full implications of PlayStation’s decision. Owning a disc means actually owning a game, after all, something he was well aware of at the onset of the PlayStation 4 generation.
With games also getting delisted, having physical releases is also the only way to preserve them without having to go through incredibly complicated procedures, such as the one a dedicated fan had to go through to recover a mobile Final Fantasy VII spin-offthat would have been completely lost if not for their effort.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack.
After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi “Suda51” Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA’s president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3.
When he’s not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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