Sony’s plan to end the manufacturing of physical video games in the coming years has triggered a boycott among PlayStation enthusiasts who want to retain the option of owning their media. Despite the negative press surrounding this decision, Sony has signaled to the industry that it intends to proceed with this transition. While a boycott may face challenges given the current market trajectory, there are practical avenues where consumer energy might be directed to preserve physical media in a different form.
In my latest video, I lay out a practical solution that might help maintain physical ownership for the small subset of the market that wants it.
Current data from Circana regarding physical media market share in the United States shows that Nintendo currently holds 63% of the market, while PlayStation accounts for 32%. While PlayStation’s share is notable, it represents a portion of a market that is shrinking rapidly.
At the peak of physical media in 2009, approximately 292 million physical game units were sold in the U.S. Projections suggest that by June 2026, that number will drop to 37 million units across all platforms. Within the PlayStation ecosystem, the decline is even more visible; only seven games have sold more than 100,000 physical copies so far this year. In contrast, 100 different games reached that same milestone in the first half of 2008.
Despite the move toward digital-only consoles, technical solutions exist that would allow for continued physical ownership. For instance, the Xbox Series S features a high-speed expansion slot capable of supporting modern game data. If flash memory prices decrease, it is possible for publishers to release games on cartridges that could be inserted directly into these slots, allowing for traditional ownership and resale.
Another option involves the use of external hardware. In the past, Microsoft produced an external optical drive for the Xbox 360 to support the HD DVD format, which connected simply via USB. Modern console manufacturers could allow consumers to connect external optical drives to digital-only machines. This would enable gamers to buy physical discs, copy the data to their hard drives, and validate ownership without requiring an internal drive to be built into every console. This approach would be a cost-effective manufacturing compromise that maintains a path for physical collectors.
The infrastructure for physical releases is also being sustained by a specialized cottage industry. Independent publishers like Limited Run, Strictly Limited Games, and Iam8bit have built viable businesses by producing physical versions of games that were originally digital-only. This market has grown to include larger titles and elaborate collector’s editions.
While Sony currently mandates that it must manufacture the discs for its own platform, the underlying technology remains the Blu-ray disc. Since Sony will likely continue producing Blu-ray discs for the film industry, the capacity to press game discs remains, provided the platform holders continue to grant permission to these independent publishers.
The survival of physical media in other industries offers a potential roadmap for gaming. In the music industry, vinyl records have seen a significant resurgence, even outselling CDs, because a dedicated segment of the population values the physical object and the specific quality of the medium. Similarly, the market for 4K Ultra HD movies remains stable because the quality often exceeds what is available via streaming. In both cases, the entire consumer base does not need to participate to make the market sustainable; a dedicated minority is sufficient.
The business case for returning to standard internal optical drives in every console may no longer exist, but there is a clear case for maintaining the software support that allows physical media to function. By encouraging console manufacturers to support external hardware and independent physical publishers, the community can preserve the ability to hold a game in their hands. Success in this area will likely depend on finding a middle ground that acknowledges the shift toward digital while protecting the rights of those who prefer to own their software.