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Latest Physical Sales Data Proves The Format Is, In Fact, Dying
Sony's plan to end physical media production for the PS5 (and likely PS6) from January 2028 has proved controversial with fans, but new sales figures suggest the decision reflects a genuine collapse in demand rather than a corporate whim. Analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana reports that only two PS5 titles sold more than 10,000 physical copies in the US in the week ending 11th July 2026, with just seven games passing 100,000 physical sales for the whole year so far. Industry commentator Christopher Dring has highlighted similarly weak figures for Nintendo formats, undercutting the assumption that physical sales remain robust outside PlayStation.
Dring notes that only around 1,000 physical sales were needed to reach ninth place in the UK's chart for the week ending 18th July, a spot held by newly released Star Fox. That such modest numbers can secure a top-ten placing, for a game barely a month old, is presented as stark evidence of how far physical retail has declined from a time when a single store could sell 100 copies of a new release in a day. The article suggests this trend explains Sony's silence amid the backlash and argues that, while a full move to digital-only leaves some consumers behind, a scaled-down physical presence—similar to how music and film have preserved physical formats—would be a fairer compromise.
In short
- Physical game sales in the US and UK have fallen sharply
- Just 1,000 UK sales secured Star Fox a top-ten chart spot
- Data suggests Sony's move away from physical media is justified
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The data presented is stark and reflects genuine market reality: physical game sales have collapsed to levels where only 1,000 copies can secure top-ten chart placement for a new release. This represents an enormous decline from an era when individual stores could shift 100 copies daily. With only two PS5 titles surpassing 10,000 physical sales in a week and merely seven reaching 100,000 for an entire year, the economic logic of maintaining production infrastructure becomes indefensible. Sony's decision reflects the market's actual behaviour rather than corporate caprice, paralleling how other media industries have substantially transitioned to digital whilst minimising physical production.
The case against
The decline in physical sales does not indicate the format's death, but rather its stabilisation at a sustainable niche level—much like music and film have done. Millions of consumers still value physical media for legitimate reasons: genuine ownership without licensing restrictions, offline functionality independent of server availability, archival preservation, and freedom from digital rights management. The article itself acknowledges physical formats have been 'preserved' in other industries, suggesting scaled-down production remains economically viable for dedicated audiences. Eliminating physical media entirely removes consumer choice for those with reasonable grounds to prefer it, whilst a modest continued presence—comparable to vinyl records or physical films—would respect consumer autonomy without substantially burdening publishers.
Explained simply
Video games have traditionally been sold as physical products—discs and cartridges—purchased from shops, much like music and films were sold before digital downloads and streaming became widespread. For several decades, physical game sales were the primary way people acquired new games, with major releases regularly shifting thousands of copies per retail store on their first day of sale.
Demand for physical games has been declining steadily as digital distribution and streaming services have become more convenient and widely available. This has prompted major companies, including Sony, to reconsider their investment in physical game production.
For people who prefer to own physical copies rather than relying on digital downloads, this decline means fewer options for how they can purchase games. The shift away from physical formats in gaming parallels what has already occurred in the music and film industries, where CDs, DVDs and similar physical media have become far less common.