Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi has voiced his hope for a physical edition of the upcoming title, despite acknowledging a broader industry trend, particularly from Sony, that favors digital distribution over physical discs.
Speaking with GamesRadar+, Hamaguchi stated, "I can't say anything particularly definitive at this point in time. But I am working to make the arrangements to allow us to have some kind of physical edition." This desire stems from a personal appreciation for the culture surrounding physical game ownership and community engagement. "I do feel, as a developer and as a fan, that the general trend is for things to shift away from physical towards downloadable games," he observed, "But that's obviously talking about the trend. Personally, here at something like Fan Fest or at community events for games that I've worked on, I really think that people bringing up things, asking for autographs—I think that's lovely. I think it's a wonderful culture and it would be a shame to lose that. I want that to remain."
Even if traditional disc-based releases become untenable, Hamaguchi suggested alternative forms of physical editions could emerge. "Maybe you'll have a box with the code inside it, or maybe key cards like Nintendo's doing, or a boot disc or something. I feel like there'll always be something, and I hope there will be." The sentiment echoes concerns among some players about the long-term accessibility of digital-only titles, which are tied to platform servers and digital storefronts that could potentially cease to exist. The prospect of games spanning multiple discs, once a hallmark of massive titles that conveyed scope and ambition, has largely been replaced by large download sizes.