Ken Kotaragi, the "Father of the PlayStation," attributes the backlash to killing discs to a "mental problem."

The Sony veteran doesn't seem too emotional about the end of physical media on the platform he led.

Ken Kotaragi practically created the PlayStation against the will and judgment of many others at Sony. His stubbornness paid off. Decades after the release of the PS1, the PlayStation brand dominates the world of high-end console gaming. But the discs that propelled the platform to success aren't long for this world, and Kotaragi thinks the death of physical PlayStation games makes sense.

"I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for game 'ownership.' I really understand that mentality," he told VGC in a new interview. So it's a mindset."

"I really understand [why some people are upset], but I don't think it makes economic sense," he continued. "Maybe it's a subjective matter."

Despite Sony's commitment to do away with discs in 2028, many die-hard PlayStation fans aren't going down without a fight. Part of it is nostalgia and emotion. Plucking discs from the case and spinning them under a laser was an integral part of many people's experiences with some of the most important games of the late 90s and 2000s.

But for others, the issue of ownership rights and control. The all-digital future means that Sony can do whatever they want with your copy of a game, no matter how much you paid for it. One congressman is even proposing laws to regulate the sale of digital games to make sure players own what they're buying.

While Kutaragi has been retired from PlayStation for almost two decades, he believes the writing is on the wall when it comes to a shift from hardware to cloud gaming, especially as the component cost crisis worsens. "I'm not the CEO at PlayStation anymore, but we still have some common [viewpoints]. Right now, Sony Interactive Entertainment has many people who have come from outside, like from Gaikai or streaming companies," he told VGC. "So it's understandable that by utilizing network connectivity [they may see] PlayStation as not just a game console, but also a content terminal. Maybe that's how those people are thinking. But this has caused some friction with game enthusiasts."

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