Hideo Kojima has joined the backlash to PlayStation's move away from physical games, calling the end of new disc production "really sad" and warning that a fully streaming-led future could make access to games and movies far less secure.
Sony announced on PlayStation Blog that physical disc production for all new games released on PlayStation consoles will end in January 2028. New releases after that point will be sold through PlayStation Store and retailers in digital formats only, while games already released on disc or due before the cutoff are not affected.
Kojima discussed the shift during an appearance at the Il Cinema in Piazza film festival in Rome, according to a translation by Genki_JPN. The Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator said his own attachment to physical media makes the change difficult to accept.
"Since production is ending in 2028, this is about video games, but I grew up with physical media, so I find it really sad."
Kojima's warning goes beyond game discs
Kojima's concern is not only that PlayStation discs are going away. He drew a line between downloaded games, which can still live on a player's own hardware, and streaming services, where users depend on remote servers controlled by companies.
That distinction matters in the ownership debate because Sony's 2028 plan still allows digital purchases, including through retailers. A deeper move into streaming would put more distance between players and the actual game data, which is the scenario Kojima described as frightening.
"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."
He added that changes in companies, nations or politics could affect whether media continues to be distributed. Kojima said that if access is cut off, people may no longer be able to watch or play the movies and games they care about, before warning that what is happening to games in 2028 could also happen to movies.
A familiar PlayStation partner is criticizing a major platform shift
The comments stand out because Kojima is not a distant critic of PlayStation. Metal Gear Solid helped define the original PlayStation era, P.T. became one of the PS4's most famous lost exclusives and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launched as a major PlayStation 5 exclusive from Kojima Productions.
Sony's disc cutoff has already become one of PlayStation's most divisive platform decisions in years. Gamers Now previously covered Sony's plan to stop making discs for new PlayStation games, and preservation advocates have warned that the shift creates harder questions around archiving digital-only games.
Kojima's remarks add a creator-focused version of the same anxiety. Sony says the change reflects how most players now access games, but one of PlayStation's best-known collaborators is framing the move as part of a larger loss of control over media libraries.
The 2028 cutoff remains limited to new PlayStation releases, based on Sony's announcement. Existing disc games and releases planned before then are outside the policy, but the conversation around ownership is unlikely to cool down while players, preservationists and developers are still weighing what a disc-free console market leaves behind.