Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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According to new sales data from Circana director Mat Piscatella, only seven PS5 games have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in 2026.
In the week that ended 11th July 2026, just two PS5 titles managed to sell over 10,000 physical units during that seven-day timespan. Say what you want but it's nice seeing Xbox leadership speak and address community feedback on a regular basis
If you asked Hermen Hulst or Hideaki Nishino to speak directly to the PlayStation fanbase they'd look at you like this June 2026 was always going to be a difficult month for the US games industry, as last year plotted the record breaking release of the Switch 2.
Nintendo’s console registered an expected 79% year-over-year decline, contributing to a 21% decrease for the industry at large. 4 Games Every PS3 Collection Needs:
Disgaea creator Sohei Niikawa says that if PlayStation is going to abandon physical games, Sony “may as well eliminate the hardware too.”
Speaking to Noisy Pixel at Anime Expo 2026, Niikawa said physical games are much more than a way to play.
“I think physical editions of games are very important. For fans, being able to keep a game they love as an object can have a great deal of value. It becomes a memory or a keepsake connected to something that matters to them.”
“The executives who decided it have probably never experienced coming to an event like Anime Expo and having someone approach them with a physical game to ask for an autograph.”
“If they’re going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too. A television would be enough. Why would you need the console?”
• The Last of Us
• Metal Gear Solid 4
• God of War III
• inFAMOUS 2
What would you add?
Get ready for something similar with Project Helix and PlayStation 6
Not a fan but it’s most likely happening
The price adjusted PS5 also assisted with the downturn, posting a 19% year-over-year hardware revenue slump. It’s becoming an increasingly tricky year for the PS5, no doubt about that.
Xbox actually doubled its sales year-over-year, although it was still in dead last across all metrics, even though this was a better month overall for Microsoft’s machine. PS5 Pro has become one of my best purchases. Recent games look incredible due to PSSR enhanced. It is a real leap in clarity across every game and a HUGE difference from base PS5.
That said, current price of $900 is crazy. You’re better off saving for the PS6 next year instead
The two new statistics are eye-opening and highlight how poorly physical game sales are doing in the USA. They arrive as Sony announces plans to halt the production of PlayStation discs from January 2028, and provide further context as to why the company has made its decision and — at least so far — doesn't appear to be interested in backing down from it. The data is showing the opposite of the Physical media movement. Hard for a business to justify something when consumers have spoken with their wallet. This is an astonishing statistic. Me calling the physical userbase on PS5 "vanishingly small" may actually be underselling it.
Follow me on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/dreamcastguy
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According to new sales data from Circana director Mat Piscatella, only seven PS5 games have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in 2026.
In the week that ended 11th July 2026, just two PS5 titles managed to sell over 10,000 physical units during that seven-day timespan. Say what you want but it's nice seeing Xbox leadership speak and address community feedback on a regular basis
If you asked Hermen Hulst or Hideaki Nishino to speak directly to the PlayStation fanbase they'd look at you like this June 2026 was always going to be a difficult month for the US games industry, as last year plotted the record breaking release of the Switch 2.
Nintendo’s console registered an expected 79% year-over-year decline, contributing to a 21% decrease for the industry at large. 4 Games Every PS3 Collection Needs:
Disgaea creator Sohei Niikawa says that if PlayStation is going to abandon physical games, Sony “may as well eliminate the hardware too.”
Speaking to Noisy Pixel at Anime Expo 2026, Niikawa said physical games are much more than a way to play.
“I think physical editions of games are very important. For fans, being able to keep a game they love as an object can have a great deal of value. It becomes a memory or a keepsake connected to something that matters to them.”
“The executives who decided it have probably never experienced coming to an event like Anime Expo and having someone approach them with a physical game to ask for an autograph.”
“If they’re going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too. A television would be enough. Why would you need the console?”
• The Last of Us
• Metal Gear Solid 4
• God of War III
• inFAMOUS 2
What would you add?
Get ready for something similar with Project Helix and PlayStation 6
Not a fan but it’s most likely happening
The price adjusted PS5 also assisted with the downturn, posting a 19% year-over-year hardware revenue slump. It’s becoming an increasingly tricky year for the PS5, no doubt about that.
Xbox actually doubled its sales year-over-year, although it was still in dead last across all metrics, even though this was a better month overall for Microsoft’s machine. PS5 Pro has become one of my best purchases. Recent games look incredible due to PSSR enhanced. It is a real leap in clarity across every game and a HUGE difference from base PS5.
That said, current price of $900 is crazy. You’re better off saving for the PS6 next year instead
The two new statistics are eye-opening and highlight how poorly physical game sales are doing in the USA. They arrive as Sony announces plans to halt the production of PlayStation discs from January 2028, and provide further context as to why the company has made its decision and — at least so far — doesn't appear to be interested in backing down from it. The data is showing the opposite of the Physical media movement. Hard for a business to justify something when consumers have spoken with their wallet. This is an astonishing statistic. Me calling the physical userbase on PS5 "vanishingly small" may actually be underselling it.
