Sony Interactive Entertainment (hereinafter “SIE”) announced in July 2026 that it would “cease production of physical discs for new PlayStation console games as of January 2028,” sparking widespread discussion around the world.
To be honest, as a writer who still buys physical game copies whenever possible—a so-called “writer who still buys physical copies”—I reacted to the announcement by thinking, “So it’s finally here,” but I have to admit that I still feel a sense of loss.
Feeling a bit anxious, I wondered how others in my situation were processing this change. So, I reached out to the Game*Spark writing staff to gather “writers who still buy physical copies” and organized a roundtable discussion.
Rather than debating the pros and cons of the discontinuation, these three writers—who love physical copies—engaged in a heartfelt, laid-back conversation, reminiscing and reflecting on the appeal of physical copies and what the future holds.
Why Do We Continue to Buy Boxed Copies?
Haru Iida: I’m Haru Iida, the organizer. Thank you all for gathering here today.
Since I’ve focused mainly on console games since I was a child, I’ve never had a reason to stop buying physical copies. Hearing that physical games will finally be discontinued on PlayStation consoles has made me anxious, so I’d like to sort out my thoughts through this roundtable discussion with all of you. First, please give a brief self-introduction.
Takaroku: My name is Takaroku. I usually work as a scenario writer for a game company, so when it comes to games I like, I’ll play just about anything as long as the story is interesting.
I, too, grew up buying Famicom and Super Famicom boxed games, so when SIE made their announcement, I felt a bit of a shock—thinking, “Hmm, times have really changed”—and I’d like to share some memories here.
Skollfang: I’m Skollfang. My favorite games are what you might call “blockbusters”—I love big-name titles from major Japanese publishers, like the *Final Fantasy* (hereinafter “FF”) series, and my collection of physical game cartridges focuses mainly on those kinds of titles.
Haru Iida: Today, the three of us would like to talk about the appeal of physical game packages and share some memories. First, in this era where convenient digital downloads reign supreme, let’s explore the appeal of physical copies by discussing the theme: “Why do we still want to buy physical copies?”
I used to think that maybe I still couldn’t switch to digital versions because I’m “the type who prefers physical copies for everything,” but after I started buying manga as e-books last year, it was so convenient that I couldn’t go back. Still, when it comes to games, I find myself wanting the physical copies—so they must have their own unique appeal.
Takaroku: I like physical books too, but I’ve switched to digital for manga. I’ve also run out of space to store them—especially since some manga series have over 100 volumes—so I guess it can’t be helped.
I can’t quite put my finger on the exact difference myself, but since games don’t continue for dozens or hundreds of volumes like manga does, there might still be something about them that makes me want to buy the physical copies.
Skollfang: I make a distinction: I always buy physical copies of games I’ve been looking forward to since before release, and I buy the digital version for titles I check out later. There’s no doubt that digital has the advantage, especially with sales, but the appeal of physical copies lies in how the process of acquiring them builds anticipation.
There’s a whole sequence of events that builds up the excitement—making time to go to the store, bringing the game home, tidying up my space, and finally saying, “Okay, let’s fire it up.” For me, that’s also part of the experience of enjoying major titles.
Haru Iida: So your perspective is that it’s not just the physical copy itself, but the entire process of purchasing it that’s part of the appeal.
Skollfang: There’s a famous story about how people used to line up at game stores on the release day of *Dragon Quest*—I really wish I could have been part of that at least once.
Haru Iida: Since I’ve started using online shopping a lot, I feel like that experience has lost some of its luster. It’s certainly satisfying just to satisfy my collecting urge, but do any of you collect anything besides games?
Skollfang: It’s game-related, but I collect soundtracks. Since I plan to build a library that I’ll keep for 20 or 30 years—or even my whole life—I worry that digital distribution could mean I’d eventually “lose access” to them, so I collect the physical copies.
Haru Iida: “Ownership” of physical media really is a strong point, isn’t it? There are games released exclusively as digital downloads, and while I fully understand the convenience of that, I feel it’s a shame to limit the reasons for buying a boxed copy solely to “ownership” or a “collecting habit.”
Takaroku: From the perspective of someone who develops games, a boxed copy is something so special that, in a sense, it’s like a tombstone. A game where my name appears in the end credits is, so to speak, “proof that I’ve lived”—I have that much of a special attachment to it.
Haru Iida: It’s really valuable to hear this perspective from someone on the development side.
Takaroku: Also, even for games I’ve bought on physical media, if I find them fun, I’ll sometimes purchase the digital version as well—sort of as a donation. I think this is similar to the recent culture of “spending money on your favorite characters”; there’s a desire to pay more for games I really like. That’s especially true for indie titles.
Haru Iida: I see. Sometimes I’ll come across a game where I’ve “watched the whole thing on a stream,” and if it was fun, I’ll buy the game as a way of saying thanks—though I usually end up doing that during digital download sales. It’s not quite the same as Takaroku’s situation, though (laughs).
Takaroku: I understand that situation too. We’ve definitely benefited from the ease and convenience of digital downloads as well.
