The future of physical video games continues to generate debate, especially after Sony’s plans to abandon disc production in 2028 were revealed. Now, Ken Kutaragi, widely considered considered the father of PlayStation, has given his opinion on this transition to a completely digital market, and while he understands the concerns of gamers, he believes that maintaining physical games no longer makes much sense from an economic point of view.

In an interview with VGC, the former CEO of Sony, who played a key role in creating the first three PlayStation consoles, acknowledged that the disappearance of the physical format is causing friction between Sony and some of its fans. However, he believes it is mainly a matter of changing how people think about owning games.

“Although we had network capability back in the PS2 and PS3 days, it was not that common [as it is today]. Now, many, many people are connected,” explained Kutaragi, who believes that this technological transformation has completely changed market needs. “I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for ‘owning’ games. I really understand that mentality,” he says. However, he cites mobile phones as an example, where practically no one considers it necessary to use physical media to access their content. “I really understand [why some people are upset], but I don’t think it’s economically reasonable. Maybe it’s a mentality issue,” he concludes.

Kutaragi also believes that Sony’s current management may be moving away from the traditional idea of a console and turning PlayStation into a connected platform that offers access to all kinds of content. He explains that this approach doesn’t always match what more traditional fans expect.

The creator of PlayStation, who left Sony in 2007, has been anticipating this evolution for decades. As early as 2006, he spoke of a future in which digital distribution would eliminate the need for discs, and even hard drives, thanks to game streaming.

In fact, Kutaragi believes that the evolution of artificial intelligence and cloud computing could eventually make consoles themselves unnecessary. During the same event, he also criticized the current high price of hardware, which he considers bad for the industry, and advocated for the need to find new technological solutions.

However, he made it clear that these opinions are personal and do not represent Sony’s official position.