'Brick and mortar game retail is doomed' Analysts report $7.2 billion second-hand game market could be in danger thanks to Sony's plan to retire
the production of physical discs

Date:
Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:42:50 +0000

Description:
The second-hand video game market could be in danger as a result of Sony's decision to end production of physical discs starting in January 2028.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Dataintelo reports that the
used video game market is worth $7.2 billion The firm thinks that Sony's decision to end the production of discs will cause it to decline Analysts say the market will "keep shrinking and eventually disappear" The second-hand video game market could be in danger as a result of Sony's decision to end production of physical discs starting in January 2028 .

A new story from CNBC included analysis from market research firm Dataintelo
, which reported that the used game market was worth $7.2 billion in 2025 and predicted it could grow to $13.8 billion by 2034. The figure represents all pre-owned games, console hardware, accessories, and peripherals, but consoles account for 42.3% of revenue, with North America being the biggest part of
the market. That's compared to Europe, which captured 28.3% of global second-hand revenue last year. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

The company explained that the second-hand game market is fuelled mainly by affordability concerns, an interest in retro gaming, and a "digital-to-physical gaming transition."

With Sony 's plan to phase out discs in just two years, there's now a threat to the used game market. You may like Major second-hand retailer warns loss
of physical PlayStation games will mean higher prices for consumers and
'fewer opportunities to shop around' Industry analyst reports only 7 PlayStation games 'have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date'
in the US, as fans demand Sony kill its plan to end the production of discs The end of physical game copies is coming, and retailers are not happy

"Realistically, at least one-third of games have been sold historically as used, and the games that were sold also provided currency to the gamer who traded them in as cash to pay for new games," said Wedbush Securities
managing director of strategic planning, Michael Pachter. "Brick and mortar game retail is doomed."

However, physical discs and the second-hand market aren't likely to disappear all at once. Kazunori Ito, director of equity research at Morningstar, explained that the market will "keep shrinking and eventually disappear." Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"There is an important difference between players accepting that shift
because they see value in it, and having it effectively forced on them by taking away the alternative," Ito said.

"Most would prefer to make that transition in their own way and at their own pace, rather than having it driven by the end of physical discs."

In Sony's announcement earlier this month, it called it a "natural direction" for the company, arguing that the transition from physical to digital discs "will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today." What to read next 'I will quit buying games'
Sony is killing physical discs in 2028 and now unhappy fans are concerned about what it means for game ownership Ex-PlayStation boss calls Sony's plan to kill physical disc production 'fairly dramatic' and remembers a time when 'digital sales were zero percent because we didn't have a digital market' 'Removing discs doesnt represent progress it simply removes choice' The Entertainment Retailers Association denounces Sony's decision to kill
physical discs

While fans continue to push back against the decision , analysts have determined that the PlayStation company won't change its mind .

"Their current profit margin has been too weak for years now, so they feel like they must act," explained Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese game industry consultancy firm Kantan Games. "From an economic perspective, digital sales just make too much sense especially for platform holders."

A recent report from Circana senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella also suggested that the digital market is in Sony's favor
right now, explaining that only seven PlayStation games "have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date" in the US . Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! The best gaming consoles All the best consoles of this generation

Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles 1. Best overall: PlayStation 5 Slim 2. Best budget: Xbox Series S 3. Best handheld: Nintendo Switch 2 4. Most powerful: PlayStation 5 Pro



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/brick-and-mortar-game-retail-is-doomed-analys ts-report-usd7-2-billion-second-hand-game-market-could-be-in-danger-thanks-to- sonys-plan-to-retire-the-production-of-physical-discs


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