Ken Kutaragi, widely known as "The Father of PlayStation," has publicly supported Sony's decision to discontinue physical discs for future PlayStation games, framing the backlash as a "mentality issue."
Kutaragi, who was instrumental in the development and success of the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3, stated in an interview with VGC that while he understands why players value physical media, the move away from discs is a matter of economic practicality in the current digital landscape.
"Although we had network capability back in the PS2 and PS3 days, it was not that common [as it is today]. Now, many, many people are connected," Kutaragi explained. "I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for ‘owning’ games. I really understand that mentality… But nobody thinks [physical media] is necessary for a networked device like a smartphone, for example, because people feel that they will keep their content. So it’s a mentality."
He acknowledged the sentimentality attached to physical discs but concluded, "I really understand [why some people are upset], but I don’t think it’s economically reasonable. Maybe it’s a mentality issue."
Kutaragi also alluded to Sony's broader ambitions beyond gaming, noting the company's integration of talent from streaming services like Gaikai. He suggested that consoles themselves might eventually become obsolete, replaced by streaming solutions to mitigate rising hardware component costs. "We won’t need any console," he remarked, though he quickly clarified that this was not an official statement from Sony Computer Entertainment.
Sony's plan to phase out physical discs for new game releases on PlayStation consoles is set to be fully implemented by January 2028. The company has acknowledged that this transition would be a significant public relations challenge, yet it is moving forward, citing a shift in consumer preferences. Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, stated that as digital media consumption increasingly outpaces physical discs, the company is adapting to align with how the majority of its community prefers to access games.