Anyone who still puts an Xbox game case on their shelf in 2026 belongs to a dying minority. Recent market data from the U.S. shows that Xbox accounts for only 4 percent of all physical game sales this year. For PlayStation, the figure is 32 percent, and for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, it’s as high as 63 percent. Xbox gamers have thus moved away from store shelves much faster than the rest of the industry.
In a nutshell
- Physical Xbox games will account for only 4 percent of the market share in the U.S. by 2026
- PlayStation stands at 32 percent, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 at 63 percent
- Game Pass, the all-digital Xbox Series S, and shrinking shelf space are considered the main drivers
- Sony will completely discontinue PS5 disc production starting in January 2028; a similar move by Xbox would hardly be noticed
The numbers in detail
The data comes from the market research firm Circana and was analyzed by industry analyst Mat Piscatella; it was highlighted, among other places, in an analysis on Kotaku. The figures are based on physical new sales in the U.S. so far in 2026:
| Platform | Share of physical new sales in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Xbox | 4% |
| PlayStation | 32% |
| Nintendo Switch / Switch 2 | 63% |
This trend is also evident in hardware sales: According to estimates by VGChartz, in June 2026, the Xbox Series X|S accounted for 14 percent of consoles sold, while the digital PS5 models without a disc drive alone made up 27 percent of all PS5 sales. So even Sony is selling a growing proportion of its consoles without a disc drive, which is causing the physical market to shrink overall—even though PlayStation games themselves are still purchased on disc relatively often.
Why does (almost) no one buy physical Xbox games anymore?
Three reasons stand out. First: The Xbox Series S is inherently all-digital; it doesn’t even have a disc drive. Second: Game Pass offers many major titles on the day of release as part of the subscription, eliminating the incentive to buy the disc version for a large portion of the gaming audience. Third, Xbox games are increasingly disappearing from brick-and-mortar retail shelves because, with such low demand, stocking them is hardly worth it for retailers.
Only a little over 4 percent of all new physical games sold in the U.S. this year have been on Xbox https://t.co/Cp9VsdrNIi
— Kotaku (@Kotaku) August 20, 2026
On top of that, many major Xbox titles are released across multiple platforms. Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6, for example, were released simultaneously for PlayStation and PC, which further steers buyers toward digital stores on other platforms instead of purchasing physical copies on Xbox.
PlayStation and, above all, Nintendo are still holding their own
The picture is different for Nintendo. According to Circana’s figures, Switch and Switch 2 owners continue to buy physical copies by a wide margin—a trend that’s also linked to the collector’s culture surrounding Nintendo games. If you’re looking for an overview, check out our guide to the best Nintendo Switch games for recommendations—many of which are still available as cartridges.
PlayStation sits firmly between Xbox and Nintendo at 32 percent. Here, too, the share of physical purchases is steadily declining, but at a much slower rate. You’ll find an overview of top titles for the console in our list of the best PS5 games.
Sony’s 2028 Disc Phase-Out Will Barely Affect Xbox
In July 2026, Sony officially announced that it would discontinue production of physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. PlayStation manager Sid Shuman explained the move on the official PlayStation Blog, noting that overall demand for digital media now significantly exceeds that for physical discs. Games released before the cutoff date are exempt from this policy.
Since PlayStation currently accounts for just under a third of all physical sales, Sony’s phase-out will noticeably impact the overall market. For Xbox, however, with a market share of only 4 percent anyway, a comparable move would hardly be noticed—its business is already almost entirely digital.
Conclusion
The figures confirm a trend that has been emerging for years: Physical games are disappearing, though not at the same pace everywhere. Xbox has actually accelerated this trend with Game Pass and the digital Series S and is now far ahead of PlayStation and Nintendo. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella sums it up: The industry likely has “less than a decade” left with physical software, according to his widely cited assessment from this summer. For Xbox, that decade is practically already over.
