Sony has faced significant online backlash over its decision to end physical disc support for PlayStation games by January 2028, but new sales data suggests the format has already dwindled to near-irrelevance in commercial terms. Circana senior director Mat Piscatella shared figures showing just how small the physical market has become, arguing that vocal fan anger online is unlikely to be matched by actual purchasing behaviour, making it improbable Sony will reverse its decision.

According to Circana's Retail Tracking Service, only seven PlayStation games have sold over 100,000 physical units in the US so far this year, and just two titles sold more than 10,000 physical copies in the week ending 11 July. Circana data also shows US spending on physical games peaked at $11.5 billion in 2009 before falling to $1.6 billion last year. Critics of Sony's move point to broader concerns about digital ownership, including the removal of purchased films such as Terminator 2 from PlayStation Network after a rights dispute, and a policy permitting account deletion after 36 months of inactivity.