Nobody's Buying New Physical Games On Xbox In The U.S.

Key Points:

• In the U.S. this year, only about 4% of new physical video games sold were for Xbox, while Nintendo accounted for 63% and PlayStation 32%, reflecting stronger physical game purchases among Nintendo fans and the impact of Xbox Game Pass on digital adoption.
• PlayStation's upcoming discontinuation of physical discs in 2028 could convert or eliminate roughly one-third of physical game sales, whereas Xbox's smaller share means its potential impact is less significant; Nintendo remains the dominant force in physical game sales.
• New physical software sales hit an all-time low for July 2026 at $85 million, continuing a trend of declining physical media popularity amid rising costs and shifting consumer habits, with digital subscriptions being the only growing segment.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 led July's sales surge, propelled by a current-gen PlayStation port, while EA Sports College Football 27 and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced also ranked highly; Halo: Campaign Evolved had notable engagement on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
• Recent game releases like Palworld and Digimon Story: Time Stranger saw significant sales boosts, with Palworld reaching No.2 on Steam and Digimon Story jumping to No.23 on Switch, indicating continued interest in new titles despite overall market shifts.