Katarzyna Petru
A decade ago, boxed editions were the standard on consoles. Today, more and more players are purchasing games directly from digital stores such as the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store. The reason is simple: convenience. Downloading a title without leaving home, no need to change discs, and immediate access to the library are arguments that are crucial for many users.
Economics and Market Control
Digital distribution means lower production and logistics costs. There is no need to press discs, print covers, or transport goods to stores. Moreover, platforms such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S in versions without drives show that manufacturers are increasingly promoting a model without physical media. For companies, it also means greater control over prices and promotions, as sales occur within a closed ecosystem.
Technological Limitations of Discs
Modern games can take up 100 GB or more. Even when they are on a Blu-ray disc, they often still require downloading large updates on the day of release. In practice, the media often serve merely as a key for installation, rather than as a complete, standalone release of the game. With the increasing sizes of productions, physical media are becoming an inefficient solution.
Is the return of discs still possible?
Technically, there is nothing to prevent the continued release of games on physical media. The problem lies more in market trends than in hardware capabilities. Consoles with drives still exist, and collectors continue to buy boxed versions. However, the dominance of digital distribution means that the share of discs is systematically decreasing, and it is hard to expect that this trend will reverse.
Physical discs for consoles have not completely disappeared, but they have ceased to be the main sales channel. The convenience of digital stores, lower costs for producers, and increasing game sizes are naturally shifting the market towards files rather than plastic. A return to the dominance of discs is unlikely, although there is still a place in the market for collectors and fans of traditional releases.
