Physical game sales made up only 3% of PlayStation’s revenue in 2024

The decline comes amid rumors the PS6 will still have a detachable disc drive

Video game companies continue to sell millions of physical game copies each year, but that’s no longer where most of their revenue comes from. Sony’s latest corporate report reveals that physical game sales for the PlayStation 5 and PS4 now represent a tiny fraction of overall income—and that share keeps shrinking. The revenue from physical software sales is now only half of what it was before the PS5 launched.

Sony Interactive Entertainment reported around $31.5 billion in revenue for its last fiscal year ending in March, marking nearly a 10 percent increase from the previous year. Gaming remains a major driver of Sony’s growth. However, within its PlayStation division, physical game sales accounted for just 3 percent of revenue—roughly $945 million. While that’s still a substantial amount, it’s a small slice compared to the booming digital sales and services.

This 3 percent is the lowest percentage PlayStation has ever recorded from physical sales. Before the PS5’s launch in 2020, discs made up 6 percent of revenue. That dropped to 5 percent the following year, stayed flat for a while, then fell to 4 percent in 2024’s report, and finally reached 3 percent last year—half of what it was at the end of the PS4 era. One possible reason for the recent dip is fewer first-party Sony titles, which tend to drive more physical purchases from dedicated fans.

Despite the declining percentage, total revenue from physical games isn’t falling as quickly. This might explain why Sony is reportedly considering keeping a disc drive as an optional feature for the PS6, rather than removing it entirely. Insider Gaming suggests the next-gen PlayStation could continue the trend of offering an all-digital default console, with a separate, pricier model for those who want disc support.

Console makers are navigating the shift away from physical media differently. Many first-party Xbox titles no longer have physical editions, and Nintendo’s new game key cards for the Switch 2 mean most third-party games won’t truly have physical versions. The PS5 generation may well be the final chapter for physical game media.