Despite ongoing backlash following PlayStation's decision to stop putting disc drives in consoles starting in 2028, no policy reversal has been announced. The platform holder's defense for an all-digital future rests on the fact that the vast majority of video games sold on its platform are digital copies rather than physical ones.

Quick Facts

  • Platform: PlayStation 5
  • Release Year: 2020 (Original console launch)
  • Market Data: Only 27 percent of PS5s sold in the US since launch have been the digital-only edition, according to Circana's Mat Piscatella.
  • Physical Preference: Nearly three-quarters of PS5 owners chose a console with a disc drive capability.

Why PS5 Owners Chose the Disc Drive Edition

While the vast majority of software sales skew digital, hardware purchase data tells a different story about player habits. According to Circana's Mat Piscatella, only 27 percent of PS5s sold in the US since the console launched in November 2020 have been the digital-only model. That means almost three-quarters of PlayStation 5 owners intentionally paid more money at purchase to ensure their hardware included a disc drive.

The pricing structure makes this preference clear. If players truly did not care about physical media, they would opt for the digital-only edition every time to save money on the console's initial cost. Instead, buyers consistently opted for the more expensive hardware variant to retain physical compatibility.

The Impact of Price Hikes and Detachable Drives

The share of digital-only PS5 sales has slowly climbed over time. In October 2024, digital consoles accounted for only 18 percent of total sales. PlayStation's subsequent console price hikes played a role in that shift, pushing budget-conscious buyers who waited to purchase the cheapest available option toward the digital model. Additionally, PlayStation's detachable disc drive accessory proved exceptionally popular when it launched, meaning the actual percentage of PS5 owners with physical disc capabilities is technically even higher than 73 percent, as some owners of the digital edition bought the add-on separately.

With PlayStation planning to phase out disc versions of its games starting in 2028, these hardware statistics highlight a potential disconnect with a player base that heavily invested in physical playback capabilities. While the disc-drive PS5 still outnumbers its digital equivalent three-to-one, the ongoing shift toward digital-only hardware continues as the brand looks toward future generations.