Bloober Team Vows to Keep Making Physical Games Despite Industry Shift
The Silent Hill remake studio's CEO says physical media preserves an emotional bond with players, even as Sony prepares to end disc support in 2028.
Bloober Team, the Polish studio behind the Silent Hill 2 remake, intends to keep releasing physical versions of its games for as long as it can, according to CEO Piotr Babieno. His comments come as the wider industry moves toward digital distribution, with Sony set to end disc support for PlayStation games in 2028.
In an interview with GamesRadar, Babieno said the studio values physical media and collectibles because they create a lasting connection between players and the games they love. «Collecting games also made an emotional connection between the game and me, between the studio which produced the game and me,» he said. «This little emotional touch is so important that, I think in some way, we would lose the opportunity of being closer with our fans without it.»
Babieno acknowledged the practical appeal of digital releases, noting that «digital distribution is much easier, much cheaper, and will be more profitable for everyone.» Even so, he said Bloober would continue producing retail versions whenever possible. «If we are able to produce a retail version of our games, we would like to make them for as long as possible,» he said.
The debate over physical games has intensified recently. Sony has announced it will stop supporting PlayStation discs in 2028, and Rockstar has taken a disc-less approach to Grand Theft Auto 6. Those decisions have made physical media a hot-button issue among players who value collecting and ownership.
Babieno also argued that technical improvements in graphics and audio have reached a point of diminishing returns. «We have reached a moment where you can't really do much more,» he said. «The game can have a slightly higher resolution and maybe better lighting and whatever, but will it make it a more engaging game? I don't think so.» He added that most players use hardware that is five to seven years old, if not older, yet remain just as interested in games.
That thinking shaped Onyx: The Dark Group, a 2.5D horror game exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 from Bloober subsidiary Broken Mirror Games. The team describes its goal as «putting horror back in your hands.» Babieno said that while AI can deliver visuals and sound, it cannot replicate touch. «As humans, we have four other senses, and AI can deliver something for what you see, for what you hear, but why not touch?» he said. «I think the physical element of gaming will always, always be there.»
Tymon Smektala, executive director of Broken Mirror Games, who joined Bloober from Dying Light developer Techland earlier this year, said he shares Babieno's passion for collecting. «This is the gaming I know, and this is the gaming I expect,» he said. «And as long as it will be possible, and as long as the big decision makers will allow us to have that, then of course I'll be into that.»
Bloober's Silent Hill 2 remake launched for PC and PlayStation 5 in 2024 with physical disc support. The studio announced a remake of the original Silent Hill in June of last year, but it has no release date yet. It remains unclear whether that game will arrive before Sony ends disc production in 2028.
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