Resident Evil Movie Director Comments On Physical Media Debate

Resident Evil movie director Zach Cregger has shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate and discussion about physical media in games. He wasn't speaking directly about Sony's decision to end support for physical game discs in 2028, but rather commenting generally on the matter.

Speaking to IndieWire, Cregger said he is "not a physical media guy" today. He said he was previously, but he is a person who often loses or damages the physical media he owns, and he doesn't have enough space for all the discs and boxes he might collect.

Cregger said he is "not bent out of shape" about downloading games because "at least it means it's always going to be there when I need it."

At the same time, Cregger said he's aware that companies can "just delete it" even after someone has paid. "And, yeah, that's too bad. I don't like that," he said.

Sony's decision to end support for physical games may make sense financially, but it's upsetting people who still buy physical media, and there are many of these people. In the last year, Sony sold many millions of physical game discs. But starting in January 2028, discs from Sony and other companies will no longer be supported, so everyone will have to buy games through the PlayStation Store.

The move to end support physical game discs on PlayStation is really about profitability and control, experts say. Microsoft recently announced a disc-to-digital program for Xbox, but many believe the company's next-gen platform, Project Helix, will not support discs.

Something else at play here is that, if next-gen consoles are indeed priced at $1,000 or more, Sony and Microsoft may sell fewer of them. But by eliminating discs, Sony and Microsoft can make up some of the difference by selling digital games exclusively, and these have fatter margins.

The Resident Evil movie, which is backed by Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, is set for release on September 18.