Nobody’s Buying New Physical Games On Xbox In The U.S.

With Sony slated to phase out physical discs by 2028 and Microsoft poised to follow suit, a fresh figure reveals that just over 4 % of all newly released physical titles in the United States this year were for Xbox.

Circana’s monthly data shows that 63 % of new physical sales belong to Nintendo, 32 % to PlayStation, leaving Xbox at just over 4 % after accounting for PC physical editions such as the collector’s releases of 007 First Light and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.

The distribution is no accident. Nintendo’s fanbase has long favored physical copies, explaining its dominance. The tilt toward PlayStation over Xbox may stem from Xbox Game Pass Ultimate’s extensive digital library, reducing the need for discs. Moreover, Xbox’s flagship first‑party titles—Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6—are cross‑platform, further dampening physical demand. We lack precise data on how many physical copies each platform actually produces, so PlayStation may simply ship more discs, or Xbox’s overall sales could be markedly lower.

The implications are clear: when Sony drops discs, roughly a third of physical sales could shift to digital or disappear entirely. If Microsoft follows, the effect would be far less pronounced. Nintendo remains the dominant force, though its recent use of game‑key cards for certain Switch 2 titles hints that it might eventually abandon physical media as well, albeit on a longer timeline.

Circana’s latest data reveals that July 2026’s physical software sales dipped to a historic low of $85 million, reflecting a broader decline in demand for physical discs. With a sparse slate of new releases, consumers are increasingly turning away from tangible copies, a trend Sony has already flagged as a signal to reduce its physical distribution footprint.

Across the board, total content spending—including physical, digital, and subscription revenue—fell 9 percent year‑over‑year in July, largely driven by a sharp contraction in mobile purchases and a modest decline in console and PC titles. Subscriptions, however, bucked the trend and grew. The month’s top‑earning title was Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, whose current‑generation PlayStation port propelled it to the No. 1 spot in dollar sales, jumping from No. 67 in June. Black Ops 2 now ranks fifth overall for 2026.

EA Sports’ College Football 27 secured the second position, while the combined sales of the game and its 2026 MVP Bundle would have claimed the top slot. The MVP Bundle alone charted at No. 4, and College Football 27 is now the tenth best‑selling game of the year.

New entries in the July leaderboard include Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced at No. 3, Halo: Campaign Evolved at No. 6, Splatoon Raiders at No. 7, and Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online at No. 8. Halo also topped PlayStation’s sales chart last month, with 2 percent of active PlayStation users engaging with the title, compared to 10 percent of Xbox players.