Sony's move away from physical game discs is driven by declining sales
Sony's decision to stop selling physical game discs by 2028 aligns with years of declining sales, new data reveals. Analyst Mat Piscatella shared figures showing a significant drop in physical unit sales since 2009.
Sony's recent announcement to cease sales of physical game discs in the US by 2028 is underpinned by stark economic trends, according to data shared by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella. The move, while met with some player lament, reflects a significant shift in the gaming market.
Piscatella's data, tracking US physical game sales since 2003, shows a peak in unit sales around June 2009, with 297 million units sold in the preceding 12 months. Since that high point, physical sales have been on a consistent downward trajectory, reaching only 37 million units in the most recent 12-month period.
Further illustrating the decline, Piscatella noted that in 2026, only seven PlayStation games had surpassed 100,000 physical unit sales. This contrasts sharply with 2008, when 100 PlayStation games achieved the same sales milestone. The highest-selling physical PlayStation game this year has sold just 275,000 units in the US.
The data highlights a broader industry trend away from physical media towards digital distribution. Sony's discontinuation of disc sales signals a commitment to its digital strategy, acknowledging the changing landscape of game consumption.