Talk of physical versions of games has taken on a new life in 2026 thanks to Sony’s decision to axe discs entirely starting in January 2028. While it’s unlikely the industry will back down from its all-digital push, there are still certain developers who wish to see physical games remain a thing players can purchase. Two such are Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno, and Broken Mirror Games executive director Tymon Smektala. In an interview with GamesRadar+, the two agree, “I think the physical element of gaming will always, always be there.”
In a discussion about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 horror exclusive, Onyx: The Dark Grip, Babieno and Smektala got to talking about their commitment to physical game preservation. “Both me and Piotr, we are from the era where being a gamer meant you are a collector of stuff,” Smektala told the outlet. “Like, if I could unblur my screen, you would see lots of stuff behind me and I have lots of stuff that’s not even in the camera, so this is what gaming is to us. This is the gaming I know, and this is the gaming I expect.”
Babieno concurred, saying, “If we are able to produce a [physical] retail version of our games, we would like to make them for as long as possible.” In a strange way, that is sort of the inspiration for Onyx. Babieno explains that the design philosophy is “putting horror back in your hands,” which correlates with Onyx being a handheld-only title. Bloober Team wants the experience to be as physical as possible, right down to the player holding the game itself.
It’s not like Babieno and Smektala don’t understand why the industry wants to shift towards digital. Both know that digital distribution is cheaper from a manufacturing and shipping standpoint, leading to higher profit margins for publishers and developers. Still, removing one of our core senses in the experience diminishes the emotional connection we, as players, can form with games. “Collecting games also [made] an emotional connection between the game and me, between the studio which produced the game and me,” Babieno says. “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].”
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
