Rumors recently surfaced about Sony potentially delaying its digital-only future due to pressure from Microsoft's Xbox Helix. Industry insiders and frequent leakers promptly shot down these claims, insisting Sony was dead-set on killing physical media production despite data suggesting a large chunk of the gaming audience still relies on physical discs. Following this, Kenzo Saruhashi, CEO of long-time JPG developer, suggested in a Kotaku interview that there may still be hope for physical media at Sony.

Speaking for myself, I know that a big part of our business model, particularly with NISA, is producing our physical limited editions and that's an important part of our business. We intend to continue making those physical editions and delivering the exceptional quality that our customers are expecting. In our discussions with Sony so far, I think that they're hearing a lot of the feedback from customers and so while that may be one destination that we arrive at, it's possible that the discussion may change in the future.

Saruhashi says that if Sony does not pivot on its announcement to end physical media, the studio may have to resort to including game key codes in physical boxes, because those physical boxes—which often include collectibles and other memorabilia beyond just the game—are a key part of its history and culture.