In a nutshell

• Hideo Kojima says he’s “really sad” about PlayStation ending disc production in 2028.
• He warns that cloud gaming could erase true ownership of games.
• Kojima fears politics or server shutdowns could cut off access to beloved titles.

At the Il Cinema in Piazza Film Festival in Italy, legendary creator Hideo Kojima expressed deep concern over Sony’s decision to discontinue physical PlayStation discs starting January 2028.

Hideo Kojima’s Reaction to PlayStation Killing Discs

Thanks to a translation by Genki, Kojima explained that he felt really sad when he heard about the news, as he himself grew up with physical media.

“Currently, I’ve been buying up a lot of Blu‑rays and CDs. With games, the data remains on your hardware. But if things shift to streaming, that won’t be the case anymore,” Kojima said.

While digital downloads at least store data locally, the shift toward cloud gaming could strip players of true ownership. He compared streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, where users only “turn the tap” to access content without owning it.

“The situation is different for games, as they are downloaded to the hard drive, that means the game data remains on your own hardware. However, if things shift to streaming in the future, that won’t be the case anymore. With streaming subscription services, like Netflix or Amazon, there is a server somewhere, and you essentially just have the right to turn the tap, and when you do, the data flows out.”

“That’s how movies work on these platforms, right? You don’t download the data, you access it directly through a subscription. And the consequence of that is that you don’t actually possess the data yourself.”

Hideo Kojima Warns of Lasting Effects

He further warned that political changes, server closures, or corporate decisions could suddenly cut off access to entire libraries of movies, music, and games. This echoes a 2021 tweet where Kojima cautioned that “eventually, even digital data will no longer be owned by individuals.”

“There are companies that own these servers and let you ‘turn the tap’ for a monthly fee. However, with nations, politics and various ways of thinking, one naturally has to consider the possibility that if there is a change, the data inside will stop being distributed. And if that happens you won’t be able to watch or play the movies and games you like.”

“That is what is frightening. So, what is happening to video games in 2028, might also happen to movies. I’d like everyone to keep that in mind.”

Sony has clarified that developers will still be able to reprint discs for older titles and may offer retail boxes with digital codes for new releases, similar to the upcoming physical version of Grand Theft Auto VI. Still, Hideo Kojima’s remarks highlight growing anxiety about a disc‑free future.