Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Aug 20
Xbox Takes Just 4% of U.S. Physical Game Sales as July Hits $85 Million Low
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Aug 20

Xbox Takes Just 4% of U.S. Physical Game Sales as July Hits $85 Million Low

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Aug 20

Summary

  • Circana data shows Xbox accounted for just over 4% of new physical video game sales in the U.S. this year, far behind Nintendo at 63% and PlayStation at 32%.
  • Game Pass-driven digital play and Xbox’s cross-platform first-party releases, including Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6, likely helped depress disc demand, though physical production differences may also matter.
  • Physical software spending fell to an all-time July low of $85 million, while total content spending across physical, digital and subscriptions dropped 9% year over year; subscriptions were the only category to rise.
  • That mix underscores why PlayStation’s planned 2028 disc exit could erase roughly a third of physical sales, while any similar Xbox move would have a much smaller market impact.

Insights

With Sony killing discs by 2028, will the death of physical games spark a lucrative collector market like vinyl records?
If Xbox and PlayStation abandon physical media, can Nintendo single-handedly keep the boxed video game industry alive?
Does the temporary Switch 2 bump prove gamers still secretly crave physical ownership in a digital-first world?