Physical Video Game Dollar Sales Plunged to an All-Time July Low of Just $85 Million in the US
New data shows that physical software dollar sales dipped to an all-time July low of $85 million in the US — the worst total since tracking began in 1995.
In July, physical video game sales in the US hit an all-time low of $85 million, marking the worst monthly total since tracking began in 1995, according to data from Circana. This decline was particularly pronounced for PlayStation hardware, which accounted for 32% of year-to-date spending on new physical games. Nintendo platforms dominated at 63% of the year-to-date spending on physical software.
Sony's decision to cease production of physical discs for PlayStation games by 2028 has sparked criticism, with some gamers arguing the move harms video game preservation and ownership. Despite Sony's claim that the decision is driven by shifting consumer preferences, the backlash has been significant. Meanwhile, hardware sales overall dropped 29% in July, with the average selling price of new video game hardware rising by 16% to $542. PlayStation 5 sales decreased by 6% compared to the same month last year.
Written by urgent.news from IGN's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
