Ken Kutaragi says physical disc desire is a 'mentality issue'

PlayStation architect Ken Kutaragi dismissed player outrage over Sony ending physical disc production by January 2028, describing the fierce backlash as a mentality issue tied to outdated assumptions about game ownership while defending the company’s economic logic.

The engineer widely known as the founder of the PlayStation has waded into the industry-wide debate sparked by Sony’s transition toward an entirely digital ecosystem. Speaking at the Game Republic New Horizons event in Middlesbrough, England, Ken Kutaragi addressed the controversy surrounding the planned phase-out of physical game discs. While acknowledging that players view physical media as tangible proof of ownership, he argued that modern consumer habits have already evolved past the need for plastic media.

A brief history of console reveals… – Eurogamer

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.

Kutaragi noted that keeping disc manufacturing alive is no longer economically reasonable for hardware platforms. He first predicted the eventual demise of physical media back in 2006 during an interview with GameSpot, maintaining that digital distribution would naturally render optical discs obsolete as network connectivity matured.

PlayStation Founder Says Wanting to Own Your Games Is a “Mentality Issue” 🤡

Player Backlash and the Digital Sales Reality

Sony announced that it will stop producing physical discs for all new PlayStation titles starting in January 2028. Although games launching on disc prior to that deadline remain unaffected, the upcoming shift has ignited substantial resistance from enthusiasts who value game preservation and traditional ownership. Fans have rallied behind an online petition titled Don't Kill the Disc, which has garnered more than 385,000 signatures.

The corporate strategy aligns closely with actual consumer spending habits, even if it runs counter to professed player preferences. During Sony’s July 31 earnings call, CFO Lin Tao indicated the company would proceed cautiously despite strong public pushback. Market figures demonstrate the rapid decline of physical media: digital downloads accounted for 82 percent of PS4 and PS5 full-game sales during the April to June quarter. Meanwhile, physical software brought in just ¥20.5 billion out of ¥526.6 billion—representing less than four percent of total game software revenue.

Instagram

Broader market data underscores the same trend. In the United States in 2025, physical media represented a mere 2.86 percent of total video game spending, pulling in only $1.5 billion out of a staggering $52.4 billion market.

Industry Veterans Debate Profits and Platform Shifts

Former creative strategist for Infinity Ward Robert Bowling asserted that publishers are the only ones ever pushing to eliminate discs, driven by the desire to maximize profit margins, lower production overhead, and systematically dismantle the second-hand reseller market dominated by retailers like GameStop.

Ken Kutaragi says physical disc desire is a 'mentality issue' — Photo: Engadget

Legal reality compounds the frustration for collectors. In ongoing California federal court filings responding to a class-action lawsuit, Sony has argued that reasonable consumers understand they do not own digital downloads purchased on the PlayStation Store, but rather hold a revocable license to play them.

Kutaragi also pointed out that contemporary leadership at Sony Interactive Entertainment views the ecosystem differently than the team that launched the early consoles. Citing the influx of executives hired from streaming operations and cloud gaming company Gaikai—which Sony acquired in 2012—he suggested that modern management sees PlayStation as a content terminal rather than a dedicated gaming machine.

The REAL Reason Why PlayStation Killed Physical Discs

Previous PlayStation Leadership Weighs In

Kutaragi joins a small group of former PlayStation executives who have publicly evaluated Sony’s digital transition. Former Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida stated that he is an entirely digital player and sees no functional problem with dropping physical formats. On the other hand, former Worldwide Studios chairman Shawn Layden characterized the shift as a heavily spreadsheet-driven decision that harmed the brand’s reputation, suggesting that Sony could have mitigated the fallout by licensing its disc-pressing operations to external manufacturers the way Microsoft handles Xbox hardware.

Former Executive	Stance on Physical Discs	Context
Ken Kutaragi	Supports digital transition as economically reasonable; calls attachment a mentality issue	Founder of PlayStation, retired in 2007
Shuhei Yoshida	Fully digital player; unconcerned by the loss of physical media	Former president of Sony’s Worldwide Studios
Shawn Layden	Considers it a damaging, spreadsheet-led choice; proposed third-party manufacturing	Former chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios

Frequently Asked Questions About the Disc Phase-Out

When will Sony stop producing physical PlayStation discs?
Sony announced that physical disc production for all new PlayStation titles will officially end in January 2028. Games released on physical media before that cutoff date will remain playable, but subsequent releases will be distributed exclusively through digital storefronts and retailers.

What did Ken Kutaragi mean by a mentality issue?
Kutaragi argued that consumers treat physical discs as a necessary metaphor for ownership because they are accustomed to holding physical items. He contrasted this with smartphone users, who seamlessly trust cloud and networked architecture to preserve their digital applications and media without demanding physical copies.

Instagram

Are other console makers following the same path?
Among the major three console manufacturers, Sony is the first to establish a definitive timeline to phase out discs entirely. Microsoft has not disclosed whether the next generation of Xbox hardware will feature a disc drive, while Nintendo has assured supporters that it intends to maintain physical game support.