Goodbye Discs: Digital Game Sales Continue To Grow At PlayStation, As Well As Many Other Big Players
Overview & Key Takeaways
Sony has confirmed that it will no longer support physical discs for PlayStation games--for first- and third-party games--starting in January 2028. Many are wondering why, and it likely has to do with steep declines in physical software sales at the gaming giant. And it's not just Sony that's seeing major declines in physical, disc-based games--many other publishers are as well. It's part of a wider trend of people increasingly buying games digitally, for convenience and other reasons.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad has reminded people that while physical software is not a dead market--almost 70 million new disc-based PlayStation games were sold in 2025--but the shift toward digital keeps growing.
"Having a retail presence is still important for many publishers, but it's clear that doesn't always need to a disc, and won't be going forward," he said.
"So as much as rising digital share is a market trend, the decision to stop physical disc production at this point is entirely a platform led decision that is designed to cut costs for Sony, eliminate resale / used markets, and drive 100% of revenue through the PlayStation Store," he added.
No more discs for PlayStation games.
80% digital at PlayStation
When the PS4 launched, less than 10% of game sales were digital. For the latest fiscal year, it rose to about 80% of full-game sales being digital for PlayStation.
93% digital at Capcom
Earlier this year, Japanese publisher Capcom--known for Resident Evil and Monster Hunter--reported that a whopping 93% of its game sales were digital. That compares to 75% just a few years prior. Capcom said it predicts that its percentage of digital sales will grow in next year.
Electronic Arts is seeing a big shift, too
E
Electronic Arts, one of the biggest publishers of games in the world, is seeing increased share for digital game sales compared to physical. For EA's latest reporting period, full-game downloads amounted to $528 million, compared to $81 million for "packaged goods."
Nintendo is selling more digital games
For Nintendo's latest fiscal year, the company said digital game sales were up 25% year-over-year, "mainly due to an increase in sales of downloadable versions of packaged software." Digital sales grew by 1.1 points to make up 54.6% of total software sales for the fiscal year.
A peek at Nintendo's digital sales split.
"Watershed moment"
Sony's decision to kill physical discs on PlayStation is a "watershed moment" for the games industry, an analyst said. It also has implications for the PS6, with experts saying this news almost guarantees a PS6 launch in 2028 at the soonest.
The announcement from Sony about PlayStation discs came not long after Rockstar confirmed that GTA 6 will not be released on a disc.
Sony killing off physical discs for PlayStation games might make business sense, but it's also a big bummer for many who wanted to keep buying physical games. It also has sparked game-preservation concerns.
Sony's official explanation is that it's doing this "in response to shifting trends in consumer preference."
"This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," the company said. "This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."
Sony has confirmed that it will no longer support physical discs for PlayStation games--for first- and third-party games--starting in January 2028. Many are wondering why, and it likely has to do with steep declines in physical software sales at the gaming giant. And it's not just Sony that's seeing major declines in physical, disc-based games--many other publishers are as well. It's part of a wider trend of people increasingly buying games digitally, for convenience and other reasons.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad has reminded people that while physical software is not a dead market--almost 70 million new disc-based PlayStation games were sold in 2025--but the shift toward digital keeps growing.
"Having a retail presence is still important for many publishers, but it's clear that doesn't always need to a disc, and won't be going forward," he said.
"So as much as rising digital share is a market trend, the decision to stop physical disc production at this point is entirely a platform led decision that is designed to cut costs for Sony, eliminate resale / used markets, and drive 100% of revenue through the PlayStation Store," he added.
No more discs for PlayStation games.
80% digital at PlayStation
When the PS4 launched, less than 10% of game sales were digital. For the latest fiscal year, it rose to about 80% of full-game sales being digital for PlayStation.
93% digital at Capcom
Earlier this year, Japanese publisher Capcom--known for Resident Evil and Monster Hunter--reported that a whopping 93% of its game sales were digital. That compares to 75% just a few years prior. Capcom said it predicts that its percentage of digital sales will grow in next year.
Electronic Arts is seeing a big shift, too
E
Electronic Arts, one of the biggest publishers of games in the world, is seeing increased share for digital game sales compared to physical. For EA's latest reporting period, full-game downloads amounted to $528 million, compared to $81 million for "packaged goods."
Nintendo is selling more digital games
For Nintendo's latest fiscal year, the company said digital game sales were up 25% year-over-year, "mainly due to an increase in sales of downloadable versions of packaged software." Digital sales grew by 1.1 points to make up 54.6% of total software sales for the fiscal year.
A peek at Nintendo's digital sales split.
"Watershed moment"
Sony's decision to kill physical discs on PlayStation is a "watershed moment" for the games industry, an analyst said. It also has implications for the PS6, with experts saying this news almost guarantees a PS6 launch in 2028 at the soonest.
The announcement from Sony about PlayStation discs came not long after Rockstar confirmed that GTA 6 will not be released on a disc.
Sony killing off physical discs for PlayStation games might make business sense, but it's also a big bummer for many who wanted to keep buying physical games. It also has sparked game-preservation concerns.
Sony's official explanation is that it's doing this "in response to shifting trends in consumer preference."
"This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," the company said. "This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."
