Damon

Just playing the vidya games nowadays. (Instagram: @fantaloon Bluesky: @Fantaloon)

[Dallah Games🔜AX @DallahGames]

Saw comments saying, “PC is digital too!”

My point wasn’t that PC isn’t digital. My point was that if I have to go digital, I trust PC more.

The key word is MORE.

Multiple storefronts, DRM-free options, and a community that cares about game preservation make a big difference.

[CBK @cb_keenan]

It’s okay to buy digital games only.

It’s okay to buy physical games only.

It’s okay to buy both.

It’s NOT okay to NOT have a choice.

[Game Informer @gameinformer]

Opinion: The PS5 and Xbox Series X generation has been a race to the bottom https://t.co/Ax8nUBj7xd

[Anirudh J - comic artist @jayniroart]

Me waiting for @PlayStation to tweet again

[Deez Games 🎮 @_Deez_Games]

Heads up. Sony/PlayStation are taking down any posts on Reddit which prove that they're lying about the physical vs digital sales comparisons and skewing the numbers 👌

[NIB @nib95_]

Seen several quote #PlayStation's 78% digital full game sales, thus omitting important context.

That figure includes countless digital only releases, from back catalogue to indie games etc. Even Capcom revealed 84% of its sales were "older catalog titles", many of which are only available digitally.

So using such data is somewhat misleading.

To gauge REAL physical demand you need to look at splits of games that released both physical AND digital only. Thanks to the Insomniac leaks, we have such data on PS first party games.

Playstation Physical / Digital splits

Sackboy - 77% / 23%
R&C Rift Apart - 76% / 24%
Ghost of Tsushima DC - 71% / 29%
Demon's Souls - 70% / 30%
Miles Morales - 66% / 34%
Spider-Man - 66% / 34%
Returnal - 61% / 39%
The Last of Us 2 - 61% / 39%
Ghost of Tsushima - 51% / 49%
MLB The Show 21 - 39% / 61%

So per Sony's own internal data, 31/33 first party games from their chart sold more PHYSICAL than they did digital.

Uncharted 4 actually has an insane 83% physical split.

Granted it only covers through to a few months into 2022, but we can see from other more recent data, things haven't drastically changed. For example GSD data shows ~60% of Astro Bot sales across Europe were physical.

So what skews revenue and data more digital, beyond digital only releases and platforms? The answer is games with LIVE SERVICE components, especially multiplatform ones.

As you can see from Sony's internal data, MLB has the highest digital split, and it's a live service game.

Generally the highly popular live service or annualised games such as Call of Duty, NBA 2K, FIFA etc, have higher digital splits, as gamers are constantly launching them (often daily) and don't want to be constantly switching discs, thus skewing digital/physical splits.

It's very different to single player games which are shorter and have different play and consumer trends. So again, context matters.

Then there's a MASSIVE audience of gamers that aren't even accounted for in any of this data; the countless consumers that buy and sell used physical games, because they simply can't afford as many new games, but still buy/own consoles, accessories, games, services etc. Everything from poor parents, kids etc.

Ultimately, the data rejects the notion physical is dead or meaningless, even if digital accounts for the overall lionshare of revenue/sales, especially when you look at things with the proper context and/or focus on single player tentpole games, which is PlayStation's bread and butter.

Keep in mind platforms make a 15% licensing fee from third parties on physical games, while they get a 30% cut on digital.

Likewise first party lose a 30% cut to retailers on physical, while they keep all of the revenue on digital.

As I said before, this move to kill physical is more about PlayStation trying to make far more profit and squeeze away the last remnants of consumer ownership, control, flexibility and resale, and could have greater negative market ramifications.

[Nekaishi ✟ Kitsune VTuber 🦊🦋 @nekaishi]

For anyone upset about Sony’s move to end physical media,

I’d suggest heavily supporting Stop Killing Games

This initiative is literally fighting to protect exactly what these companies want to destroy. It aims to force publishers to ensure you can always access and play the games you paid for—even after they stop supporting them

[Rin | 凛 @TheIshikawaRin]

Just a reminder that I am only able to own and to personally preserve the quite rare Godzilla PS4 game because of physical media.

It was delisted from the PlayStation Store less than two years after it released and hasn’t been ported to modern platforms.

[james. @JamesResEvil]

“But PlayStation still do sales.”

Literally fuck off.

[Delta169 @Delta1169]

Lets also not forget, PlayStation is notorious on having bad security. So now you have no physical option for you, you have to buy digital copies on a storefront that has been hacked numerous times.

[Colin @IntroSpecktive]

So do Sony realize that when they drop a 1500 dollar PS6 with no physical discs to collect that everyone is just going to get PC and Steam because it’s the superior digital option or are they just really that fucking stupid

[DeeGee @DeeGeeGames2009]

People don’t realize how much this could change the gaming market.

When physical games disappear, it doesn’t just affect collectors. It affects the entire ecosystem around gaming.

Retro game stores? Many of them survive because people still buy, sell, and trade physical games. As physical media declines, some of those stores will have a much harder time staying open.

Collector’s Editions? If everything becomes digital, what’s the incentive? Are people really going to spend $200+ for a few digital cosmetics and a downloadable license? A huge part of what made those editions special was owning something tangible.

And don’t think retro prices won’t be affected. As fewer physical games are produced, the older ones become even more desirable. Supply goes down, demand goes up, and prices climb even higher.

This isn’t just about preferring discs over downloads. It’s about ownership, preservation, accessibility, local game stores, collectors, and the future of gaming as a whole.

There’s so much more at stake than people realize, and I don’t think the long term impact is good. #supportphysicalmedia

[Gene Park, Obama’s Skull Face @GenePark]

what sucks is that you can still buy physical media for movies and music. you can still buy a CD for new albums! the options are still there. it's wild to just be like "no options from now on"

[tdk @tdkumon]

They're announcing that they're going full digital and literally at the same exact time they announce that they're closing two digital storefronts
Can't make this up

[Shirrako @ShirrakoGaming]

Consoles have no reason to exist without physical games.

[Kala Elizabeth @kalaelizabeth]

You'll pay the same price as before except now you won't own shit! No discs, just empty boxes with codes. When playstation removes your games from the catalog like they are in the process of doing with 500 paid movies you'll get nothing. You'll own nothing.

[Tom Henderson @_Tom_Henderson_]

End of an era.

[Suo @SuonikoArt]

#RE9 #ResidentEvilㅤ

[Kala Elizabeth @kalaelizabeth]

I cannot stress enough how much gamers do NOT want more live services games. We want great stories and games that are complete upon purchase. No battle passes, subscriptions or live service BS