Demon Slayer Dev Backs Sony's Disc-Free Future: 'It's a Win-Win'

Physical game discs are on their way out, and one major Japanese studio boss isn't shedding any tears over it. Hiroshi Matsuyama, president of CyberConnect2 — the team behind Dragon Ball FighterZ and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles — has gone on record saying the industry's shift to digital is a straight-up win for everyone involved.

Speaking in an interview reported by GameStalk, Matsuyama didn't mince words: killing off physical media is inevitable, and it's good for business. He described boxed games as a "high volume, low margin" game. Publishers have to buy discs and cartridges, then pile on warehousing and logistics costs, which squeezes profits hard. Digital versions skip all of that, meaning way healthier margins for developers and publishers.

That said, he gets why players are attached to their shelves. Discs are collectible, they can be traded in or lent to a friend, and that culture has built up over decades. But nostalgia doesn't beat convenience or the way the industry actually works — and players have already been voting with their wallets, drifting toward digital for years.

For anyone hoping big-budget games will always keep a disc option, Matsuyama's answer is blunt. Modern AAA titles are ballooning in size, with games like GTA6 reportedly pushing past 160GB or even 200GB. If you insisted on a physical release at that scale, you'd need multiple discs stitched together — which he calls deliberately creating inconvenience for players.

He also sketched out how the transition will likely play out. First comes the era of boxed copies that contain nothing but a download code. Physical media will then survive mainly through limited and collector's editions packed with extras, catering to hardcore collectors, while standard editions go fully digital.

Even though he mourns the death of physical games, Matsuyama sees it as a road the industry has to walk. He points to smartphone apps, which went all-digital long ago, as proof that a new generation of players will grow up completely comfortable with a disc-free ecosystem. And in his view, full digital distribution boosts publisher profits, which flows back into development — a win for both the people making games and the people playing them.

Sony's own moves, like the disc-free PS5 Digital Edition and reports of a detachable disc drive, suggest the company is already betting on that future. Whether you're team disc or team download, the tide is clearly turning. So where do you stand — are you clinging to your physical collection, or have you fully embraced the digital life? Let us know in the comments.