Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has commented on Sony’s recent announcement that it will end support for physical game discs in 2028. Speaking to Gamerbraves, Yoshida said he “didn’t know they were planning that.” He said he feels for people who want game discs, but he believes it’s not “such a big issue” for many people because they already need to download patches, DLC, and updates.
“Even with physical disc games, in most cases, developers are constantly updating and adding game data anyway. 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,” he said.
For fans of physical media, Yoshida said it “would be a shame if physical games were no longer available to collect.”
In regard to how the end of physical game discs could impact pricing, Yoshida said “the digital price point can be anything.” One industry expert said part of the reason Sony is killing off physical game discs is to exert more price control and make more money generally. The end of physical game discs would, in theory, have a significant impact on the secondhand market, too.
“For those people who choose to buy or sell games, the lack of discs may become an issue,” Yoshida said.
Sony’s announcement about ending support for discs might make business sense, but it’s upsetting a lot of people and prompting concerns about game-preservation issues, among other things.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, for his part, said there are “plus and minuses” to the end of physical media, but overall he thinks it’s not a big issue.
“There are pluses and minuses, but we think it will not disturb too much the industry.”
Sony is ending support for physical game discs as it also faces uncertainty around when it may release the PS6 and how much the console might cost due to the ongoing memory and component shortages.
Gaming has gotten more expensive than ever in recent times. Here at GameSpot, we’re spending a week covering the ins and outs of the current landscape, and offering insights into how you can play more while spending less.
