The View From Japan: PlayStation's Push for an All-Digital Future Raises Concern From Gamers and Developers — and a Well-Timed Retweet From Hideo Kojima
News Source
•Fri, 3 Jul 2026 15:32:28 +0000
📰 What Happened
Sony is pushing PlayStation toward an all-digital future where games are downloaded, not bought on discs. Japanese gamers and developers are worried about this change. The famous game designer Hideo Kojima retweeted something about the issue, adding to the buzz. In Japan, physical games are still very popular. Many people like owning boxes and discs. Developers worry that without physical sales, they will have less control over their games and face harder competition for attention on digital storefronts.
🔍 The Backstory
Sony started selling a digital-only version of the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Since then, the company has slowly pushed players away from discs. Digital games are more profitable for Sony because there are no costs for making discs, boxes, or shipping. But in Japan, game shops and used game stores are still a big part of gaming culture. Many Japanese players prefer to buy and trade physical games. Similar concerns came up when Microsoft pushed digital with Xbox, and when PC gaming mostly moved to digital stores like Steam.
🎯 Why It Matters
An all-digital future means you do not truly own your games. If a store shuts down or your account is banned, you could lose access to everything you bought.
Sony is pushing PlayStation toward an all-digital future where games are downloaded, not bought on discs. Japanese gamers and developers are worried about this change. The famous game designer Hideo Kojima retweeted something about the issue, adding to the buzz. In Japan, physical games are still very popular. Many people like owning boxes and discs. Developers worry that without physical sales, they will have less control over their games and face harder competition for attention on digital storefronts.
Sony started selling a digital-only version of the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Since then, the company has slowly pushed players away from discs. Digital games are more profitable for Sony because there are no costs for making discs, boxes, or shipping. But in Japan, game shops and used game stores are still a big part of gaming culture. Many Japanese players prefer to buy and trade physical games. Similar concerns came up when Microsoft pushed digital with Xbox, and when PC gaming mostly moved to digital stores like Steam.
An all-digital future means you do not truly own your games. If a store shuts down or your account is banned, you could lose access to everything you bought.