- Sales data reveals that, like RE: Requiem, AC Shadows and Astro Bot sold ~50% physically in many countries.
- Black Myth: Wukong and Helldivers 2 recorded poor physical sales across all reported regions.
- The data shows physical sales are in high demand for many big single-player titles depending on region.
Many gaming publishers, including Sony, argue that demand for physical games is declining rapidly worldwide. Therefore, the PlayStation maker is cancelling disc production of first-party titles starting in 2028, and other publishers are expected to follow suit.
However, sales data for RE: Requiem showed that disc editions of games are still performing extremely well across different countries. Now, a new physical vs. digital sales split for AC Shadows and Astro Bot has further cemented this counterargument.
Like RE: Requiem, about 50% of sales for both these titles came from boxed editions across multiple reported countries and regions.
Why it matters: The new data for multiple games further shows that demand for physical media is high across several countries and regions. However, this demand is highly dependent on certain types of games and genres.
The report via The Game Business shows the sales data for multiple of these games, which can be seen above. France saw the most physical copies sold for these titles, reaching a staggering 68% split for Astro Bot, 55% for Requiem, and 58% for AC Shadows.
Meanwhile, the US saw the lowest number of physical copies sold for all the aforementioned titles, as many gamers in the country prefer digital media.
Gamers in many parts of the world, such as France, the UK, and Japan, still hold the disc edition of games in high regard. But the sales split also depends on game genres and types.
There’s a huge demand for physical editions for big single-player entries, while online-centric titles like Helldivers 2 tend to sell digital copies more. Black Myth: Wukong also had a much smaller physical sales split.
The report argues that publishers with a majority of physical edition buyers will have to start preparing them to transition towards digital if they want to quit disc sales in the future.
Do you think this data shows discs need to stay? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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