Physical Games Are On Last Legs As Digital Market Grows

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Abdullah Waseem

At T4G, my task is to cover the latest news around the gaming globe ASAP and with the utmost precision. I adore all the games and respect all the devs behind the amazing games that we get all year. So, whether it’s a PC or a Console game, I got it all covered. 

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Going back 15-16 years, no one would’ve guessed that physical copies would eventually become a dying trend. Since the dawn of gaming, physical copies, whether they be in the form of cartridges or discs, have been a popular form of distribution.

However, the times are changing, showcasing small glimpses of an all-digital future after this push was set in motion many years ago. Publishers are opting for digital-only releases, consoles without disc drives are a thing, and discs are non-existent in the PC gaming space.

Recent events further highlight this push, hinting that the death of physical games, as unfortunate as it may be, is not very far.

Why it matters: Physical copies are still preferred by many gamers as they have plenty of positives when compared to digital releases. Some of them have been listed below.

Walmart has reportedly started the process of removing physical copies of Xbox games from their stores, beginning with the game Starfield.

The copies of Starfield are being listed at a significantly reduced price of $0.03 to prepare for their disposal.

This price drop and… pic.twitter.com/R6MpzK5UHf

— Game Pass Tracker (@gamepasstracker) January 23, 2024

Recent Events & Their Implications

Physical copies of Starfield were recently sold for dirt-cheap prices at Walmart. This is being done as a move to get rid of the copies. However, Walmart is not alone in this move, and neither are Xbox games the sole physical media to go through this change.

Others, like Best Buy, have started following the trend. Best Buy is also cutting prices for Blu-ray movies to get rid of existing inventory, discounting big films by 70% in the process.

Elsewhere, Xbox’s recent layoffs have targeted the physical games department. Microsoft is already very digital-focused on its gaming platform, selling the ecosystem based on Game Pass, and it appears this focus will only increase moving forward.

According to rumors, the Xbox Series X console refresh will also be a digital-only machine. If this wasn’t enough, major AAA games like Alan Wake 2 have recently skipped a physical release.

Xbox’s upcoming Hellblade 2 is following suit, offering a digital-only launch, albeit at a lower price point.

Physical Copies Are Still Important

Despite many physical games requiring downloads for day-one patches today, there is no denying the ease of inserting a disc to begin a gaming session.

Discs also carry a nostalgic factor with them. The feeling of picking up a Metal Gear Solid or Crash Bandicoot disc and playing it on the original PlayStation remains unmatched for me. Meanwhile, playing Halo on the Xbox offers a similar experience.

Once preservation is taken into account, it is easy to see why many, including me, are still fond of discs. Digital games can be delisted from stores at a moment’s notice, becoming lost forever in many cases.

Digital libraries, while highly convenient, are not fool-proof. Account bans and hacking can practically annihilate digital game collections, making them slightly risky despite their widespread adoption.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of relying on physical games is the aspect of game sharing and reselling. I still appreciate the ability to exchange games with friends and buy older titles for dirt cheap to add to my collection.

However, publishers and platform holders don’t have much to gain from such methods of sharing. This may be one reason for the accelerated transition toward digital-only models of distribution.

Ultimately, both physical and digital games have their positives and negatives. I am not opposed to either, but it is evident that the industry has already picked sides, largely favoring digital games.

In my opinion, consumers should always be given an option. Physical games should continue to stay relevant despite the growth of digital libraries. Hopefully, the industry can prolong the final years of physical games, appreciating them while they last.

Abdullah Waseem

News Reporter

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.