Just 7 PlayStation Games Have Sold More Than 100,000 Physical Copies in the U.S. So Far This Year

Amid the backlash to Sony’s determination to extremity accumulation of discs for caller PlayStation games from 2028, information for crippled income successful the U.S. amusement the dominance of integer successful stark terms.

On July 1, Sony shocked the video crippled satellite erstwhile it confirmed plans to discontinue carnal disc accumulation for caller PlayStation games from the commencement of 2028.

“In effect to shifting trends successful user preference, caller games volition beryllium released connected PlayStation Store and astatine retailers successful integer formats only,” Sid Shuman, Senior Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, said successful a station connected PlayStation Blog.

“As user preferences and the broader amusement manufacture proceed to displacement distant from carnal discs to digital, carnal crippled disc accumulation for each caller games releasing connected PlayStation consoles volition beryllium discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, caller games volition beryllium disposable connected PlayStation Store and astatine retailers successful integer formats only. This modulation has nary interaction connected games that already released, oregon volition beryllium releasing, anterior to January 2028 successful disc format.

“This is simply a earthy absorption for Sony Interactive Entertainment to accommodate to user trends arsenic the wide penchant for integer media importantly outpaces carnal discs. This modulation volition alteration america to align much intimately with however astir of our assemblage prefers to entree and play games today.

“We’ll proceed to prioritize our resources to thrust innovation successful however players tin entree games and supply choices arsenic to wherever players similar to acquisition caller games, whether that’s astatine retailers oregon PlayStation Store. We stay committed to delivering a world-class gaming acquisition to our fans and we convey you for your continued support.”

Since the announcement, gamers person called connected Sony to U-turn connected its decision, signing online petitions and swarming implicit PlayStation societal media posts to explicit interest astir video crippled preservation and ownership — adjacent overshadowing the merchandise of caller games that person thing to bash with what’s going connected astatine Sony.

But done it all, analysts person insisted that determination is zero accidental that Sony volition alteration its mind. And portion determination is plentifulness of statement astir the information down Sony’s decision, 1 expert has laid retired the stats that whitethorn underpin it.

In a societal media post, Mat Piscatella, Senior Director and Video Game Industry Advisor astatine Circana, confirmed that conscionable 7 PlayStation video games sold much than 100,000 carnal units truthful acold this year. Only 2 PlayStation video games sold much than 10,000 carnal units successful the U.S. during the week ending July 11.

It’s a shockingly debased measurement of carnal PlayStation crippled income that hammers location the constituent that integer overwhelmingly dominates the market. But it’s worthy pointing retired that this is U.S. information only, and does not see income accusation from different markets, specified arsenic Europe.

The UK’s Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), for example, called Sony’s determination “a triumph of firm convenience implicit user choice.”

In a connection published online, Kim Bayley, CEO of ERA, said its information shows that 25% of nether 25s usage discs for gaming, and that discs should stay arsenic a prime connected apical of digital.

"Playstation’s announcement that large games volition nary longer beryllium disposable connected disc is simply a triumph of firm convenience implicit user choice,” Bayley said.

“Every year, millions of gamers inactive take to bargain carnal copies due to the fact that they worth existent ownership. A disc tin beryllium shared with family, traded in, collected, preserved and, crucially, inactive played years from now. A download licence often offers nary of those freedoms.

“ERA user information shows that 25% of nether 25's usage discs for gaming and the full disc based games marketplace was valued astatine implicit £300million successful 2025, demonstrating that determination remains a important and committed assemblage for boxed games.

“Retailers spot this request each day. Physical games proceed to bring radical into shops and springiness consumers existent worth done gifting, collecting and resale.

“The manufacture should beryllium embracing each morganatic mode consumers privation to bargain games, not narrowing their choices. Digital organisation has transformed gaming and is hugely popular, but it should complement carnal formats, not regenerate them.

“Consumers merit the state to take however they bargain their entertainment. Removing discs doesn't correspond advancement – it simply removes choice. That's atrocious for gamers, atrocious for retailers and yet atrocious for the semipermanent wellness and preservation of our games industry."

Last month, Piscatella said that the “overwhelming majority” of measurement is done digitally now. More than fractional of each Xbox Series consoles successful the U.S. don't person a carnal drive, helium added, portion implicit a 4th of PS5s are the same.

It remains improbable that Sony volition U-turn connected this, analysts person told IGN. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese crippled manufacture consultancy steadfast Kantan Games, suggested that adjacent if fractional a cardinal radical cancelled their PlayStation Plus subscription successful protest, it would beryllium conscionable a driblet successful the water for Sony.

"I sympathize with carnal media fans, but Sony volition not reverse this decision," Toto told IGN. "They of people knew what the online absorption would look like, and they present hold for this tempest to pass.

"Sony has implicit 120 cardinal progressive PlayStation users," helium continued. "Around 50 cardinal radical subscribe to PlayStation Plus. As a thought experiment, let's accidental 500,000 cancel successful protest, that would beryllium conscionable 1% of that concern gone — of people not capable for Sony to commencement rethinking. Digital is conscionable excessively lucrative."

For Sony, going all-digital for caller crippled releases volition gain it much wealth from each merchantability astatine a clip erstwhile console income are expected to plummet owed to their rising cost. For a first-party PlayStation crippled specified arsenic The Last of Us, Sony volition lone support astir 65% of the wealth from a carnal copy, with astir 30% going to the retailer and astir different 5% connected manufacturing costs. Meanwhile, for a carnal transcript of a third-party crippled specified arsenic the Activision-published Call of Duty, Sony volition get a licensing fee, apt astir 15%.

For downloads, however, the margins are overmuch higher. For a first-party crippled sold via Sony's ain PlayStation Store, the institution evidently keeps 100% of the revenue. For third-party games specified arsenic Call of Duty, meanwhile, Sony keeps a 30% chopped (so, astir $21 for a $70 game).

Piers Harding-Rolls, games manufacture expert astatine Ampere, has said a batch has changed implicit the people of the past 2 generations. "Console gaming is the past hold-out for carnal media successful the gaming sector, but carnal merchandise has been declining successful importance," helium said successful a station connected the Ampere website. "Back successful 2013 erstwhile the PS4 launched, Ampere information shows that lone 13% of full afloat games portion income for Sony consoles were integer (including digital-only games). Fast guardant to 2025, and this integer stock of afloat crippled purchases stood astatine astir 80% of the total.

"Inevitably determination volition beryllium concerns from PlayStation gamers astir assorted aspects of this announcement including choice, accessing older carnal games connected caller consoles, the quality to cod carnal games, and crippled preservation, nevertheless the purchasing trends of gamers are clear."

One expert said fans of carnal media had their accidental and blew it, truthful there’s nary going back. “If gamers and preservationists had bought much carnal games, Sony wouldn’t person seen the integer income ratios that warrant this decision,” Robin Zhu, a games expert astatine Bernstein, told the Financial Times.

“Digital crippled income transportation fundamentally 100% incremental margin... the outgo of the carnal package, shipping and retailer margins tin beryllium much than 20% per cent of sticker price.”

Meanwhile, authorities authorities look improbable to beryllium capable to bash overmuch to forestall Sony going done with its decision. Over the play the EU said it was powerless to halt Sony — and so immoderate institution — from sidesplitting discs.

Photo by Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].