PlayStation Pioneer Defends Disc-Free Future

Sony's planned discontinuation of physical PS5 disc production, slated for January 2028, has sparked considerable debate.

Ken Kutaragi, a key engineer behind Sony's early PlayStation consoles, understands player dissatisfaction but deems keeping discs economically unreasonable. He suggests the resistance stems from a "mentality issue," noting that widespread internet connectivity makes physical media less crucial for consumers who trust digital content persistence.

Digital downloads accounted for 82 percent of PS4 and PS5 full-game sales in the April to June quarter, with physical software contributing less than four percent of Sony's game software revenue. Kutaragi, who predicted this digital shift in 2006, believes current PlayStation leadership views the platform as a "content terminal" rather than just a game console, citing hires from streaming businesses.

This discussion follows similar viewpoints from other former PlayStation executives. In response to player concerns and a class-action lawsuit, Sony stated in August that consumers do not own digital downloads but merely license them, a license that can be revoked. Representative Ritchie Torres has introduced the Power to the Players Act, aiming to define purchased games as owned property and mandate offline modes for online games before server shutdowns.