Although Sony's decision to end all physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles in 2028 has proven quite controversial, to say the least, not everyone thinks that a digital-only world would be all bad.
One such person is Hiroshi Matsuyama, CEO fo CyberConnect 2 – a studio best known for its manga and anime-based fighting games (think Naruto: Ultimate Ninja and the like) as well as its .hack series made in collaboration with the ever-beloved Bandai Namco.
He makes his stance clear in a new post over on X (as translated by Automaton), stating that a complete shift to digital game distribution and no physical would be "nothing but a positive thing."
That is, from the perspective of developers themselves. He explains that digital games are more profitable, using his own studio as an example. It has to purchase discs and/or game cards directly from manufacturers at companies like Nintendo and Sony to produce physical copies for their respective platforms, adding an extra layer of expense to the whole process.
Going digital would eliminate this pricey layer, of course.
聞かれたので答えました。 実態というか、ありのままの真実をお話ししています。 「ゲームソフトのパッケージ販売が縮小することで、会社にはどんな影響がありますか？」 https://t.co/xiGiLMIEXuOctober 2, 2026
Matsuyama understands why folks prefer discs and such, as "culturally, physical copies were a normal thing" – but "nowadays, they can't win in terms of convenience."
He also cites Capcom and Square Enix here, stating that over 90% or so of their sales are digital. In that case, it doesn't make financial sense to continue producing physical editions of games. "Developers work for their salaries," after all – and profit is undeniably important.
"If you want to release physical games even if it means that salaries will be reduced," as the dev describes, "then sure, I can make it happen – but I don't think there's anyone willing to do that."
In short, he doesn't think continuing to support physical copies "for a minority of collectors and enthusiasts" is realistic or plausible, but he's not sure they'll disappear suddenly now, either.
There'll still be codes in boxes yet. Discs specifically, though? Those "are doomed to fail."
Matsuyama then brings Rockstar Games' own GTA 6 up, noting how it's digital-only because it's "too big to fit on a physical disc." In fact, most games in general now "are too large to fit," according to the CyberConnect 2 lead, and "that's why they're shifting to digital releases." And, again, that's apparently a good thing.
"It's important to make that shift," as he concludes. As for what kind of impact it will make…" Well, "there will be nothing but positive things. Profitability will rise much faster, and developers will get more bonuses."
I'm not sure it's a good shift myself, but hey – at least he makes some valid points from a dev's point of view.
