In an analysis and report around NPD Game Pulse data conducted by Ars Technica, releases of physical console games continues to decline while the number of digital console games continue to increase.
Some highlights from the analysis includes, but are not limited to:
- The raw number of new games available on physical media dropped to 226 in 2021, representing a 30% decline from 2018.
- The trend in the drop is uneven…with a 38% drop for Playstation media, 31% drop for Xbox consoles, and less than 7% for the Switch.
- While 80% of titles were published physically in 2018, only 56.4% were published physically in 2021.
Back in 2018, Gamers Uplink Live and commentators Matt and George made some stark predictions about physical media. You can view the full segment below, and you can read the full report on Ars Technica. Special thanks to Slashdot for the news.