Gaming is heading towards a future where everything is digital, but even though most players are purchasing games digitally, they still seem to prefer consoles with disc drives over those without. Recent data on the current state of the console market suggests that the all-digital PlayStation 5 is the least popular hardware choice this generation.
According to market research firm Circana, regular PS5s with disc drives have outsold digital-only PS5s, as well as Xbox Series X and S consoles. Circana’s lifetime sales breakdowns show that Xbox Series X consoles make up 58% of total Xbox Series units sold in September and account for 51% of total units sold overall. On the other hand, digital PS5 consoles only make up 40% of total PlayStation 5 hardware unit sales in September and 18% of total life-to-date sales.
Sony’s last reported sales figures as of August revealed that 61.7 million PS5 units have been sold, with approximately 50.6 million being disc-capable models and only 11.1 million being all-digital. While Microsoft does not disclose official sales numbers for Xbox consoles, data firm Aldora Intelligence estimates that around 28.3 million Xbox Series X and S consoles have been sold, with the PS5 outselling them by a ratio of two to one.
One possible reason for the preference for consoles with disc drives could be the pricing. The digital-only PS5 started at $400 and increased to $450 with the release of the new slim model, making it more expensive than the Xbox Series S, which is typically priced at $300. Additionally, the optical drive for the PS5 is sold separately for $80, making it a pricier option for those who may want to upgrade later. Some players may also still own physical games from the PS4 generation or want the option to watch Blu-rays on their console, driving them to choose models with disc drives.
Despite the shift towards digital downloads, certain games, especially first-party Sony titles like God of War Ragnarök, continue to sell more copies physically than digitally. This suggests that players still value physical games and the option to use discs in their consoles. All-digital PS5s and Series S consoles combined make up only 27% of the current high-end console install base, indicating that physical games still have a significant presence in the market.
There is speculation that both Sony and Microsoft may eventually move towards all-digital consoles as the only option in the future. Some analysts predict that Microsoft may make this transition with its next console, while Sony may wait until the next generation. However, as long as there are fans who continue to purchase physical games, console manufacturers may continue to offer models with disc drives to cater to this audience.