Gamers don't need discs: Sony only received 3% of revenue from physical game releases last year

For the fiscal year ending March 2025, Sony Interactive Entertainment earned approximately $31.5 billion, of which only 3% came from sales of physical copies of games for PS4 and PS5. This is the lowest figure in the company's history: before the launch of PS5, the share of physical games was 6%, then fell to 5% and 4%, according to Kotaku.

Despite the low percentage, revenue from physical games remained significant at around $945 million. Analysts say one reason for this decline is the smaller number of major Sony games that are typically purchased in physical format. Another reason is the general trend of players switching to digital copies and subscriptions such as PlayStation Plus and PS Plus Extra.

The decline in physical media is affecting Sony's plans for its next console. According to Insider Gaming, the PlayStation 6 will likely come in two versions: a standard version and a cheaper digital version without a disc drive. This approach is similar to the strategy of Xbox and Nintendo, where the transition to digital versions is becoming the norm: many Xbox games no longer have physical copies, and the Switch 2 uses key cards instead of cartridges.