# PlayStation is risking a $7.2 billion used games market by ending disc production, analysts say: “Brick and mortar game retail is doomed”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/playstation-is-risking-a-7-2-billion-used-games-market-by-ending-disc-production-analysts-say-brick-and-mortar-game-retail-is-doomed/
- Published: 2026-07-23T21:05:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T03:03:59+00:00
- Original publisher: GamesRadar+
- Original article: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/playstation-is-risking-a-usd7-2-billion-used-games-market-by-ending-disc-production-analysts-say-brick-and-mortar-game-retail-is-doomed/
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- PlayStation moving away from disc production for PS5 games.
- Analysts say this threatens the $7.2bn used games market.
- Move could hasten the decline of physical game retailers.

## Summary

PlayStation is planning to end physical disc production for the PS5, a move analysts warn threatens the roughly $7.2 billion global used games market and accelerates the decline of brick-and-mortar game retail. Industry watchers argue that shifting entirely to digital sales strips consumers of the ability to resell, lend or trade in games, while also removing a revenue stream that independent and second-hand retailers have long relied upon. The shift reflects a broader industry push towards digital distribution, which benefits publishers and platform holders through higher margins but reduces consumer ownership rights and pricing flexibility.

Analysts cited in the report describe physical game retail as "doomed" once major publishers like Sony fully commit to digital-only releases, since discless consoles remove the incentive for stores to stock games at all. The used games market, valued at an estimated $7.2 billion, has historically offered budget-conscious players a cheaper way to access titles and provided retailers like GameStop with a key income source; its erosion would hit smaller retailers hardest. Critics also warn that all-digital distribution ties game ownership more tightly to licences rather than physical property, raising concerns about long-term access if platforms or servers are discontinued.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.