More than ever before, this console generation has placed an emphasis on digital media, putting those who like buying and collecting physical games for their PlayStation 5 or Xbox in a difficult position. Add to that the overall scale down of Blu-ray production, making the situation much more difficult than ever.
However, Japan's two Blu-ray suppliers are fighting the good fight and recently confirmed their commitment to producing physical media so that you can continue to enjoy it for the long term.
“Destroy all copies”: Not Ubisoft. I'm not going to burn my physical collection just because you don't care about your history.
Game preservation is very important, even if publishers refuse to see it.
As first discovered by Automaton-Media, IO Data and Verbatim Japan have announced that they will be strengthening their partnership to continue supplying Blu-ray drives and discs. To achieve this, we will continue to work on developing new products for people who use Blu-ray products and will work to secure the necessary components.
According to a press release, the two companies are “working together to create an environment where customers who need Blu-ray drives/discs can use them with confidence.” “We are pleased to announce that we will strengthen our partnership and continue to work to deliver our products.”
IO Data and Verbatim Japan's commitments come as more companies exit the Blu-ray business, including Pioneer, Regza of Blu-ray recorders and the end of sales by Sony, Buffalo and Elecom.
According to data released by Circana, physical gaming spending in the U.S. fell 11% in 2025, but overall spending reached $1.5 billion, the lowest on record.
Therefore, new physical video game spending in the U.S. in 2025 will be down 11% compared to 2024. This is the lowest decline since 2021 (-8%) and much better than the -28% recorded in 2024. But spending on new physical video games will also reach $1.5 billion in 2025, the lowest since 1995. — Matt Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2026-03-02T23:39:52.024Z
Overall, the market is slowly declining. In 2008, actual video game spending peaked at $11.6 billion. Since then it has declined every year before essentially bottoming out. This is consistent with the general situation in the video game industry and around the world, where more people are upgrading to Wi-Fi and systems for digital media processing are becoming more sophisticated.
It's unlikely there will be a large-scale shift back to physical media, but at least there are companies trying to serve those who are still invested in owning a physical collection. How long that will last is yet to be seen, but the effort is clearly there for the time being.
- Establishment date
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May 7, 1946
- subsidiary company
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Sony Pictures, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Imagesoft, Sony Online Entertainment
- headquarters
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Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan
I may never own a house, but at least I have a $900 PS5 Pro.
Video game consoles have never been cheaper than they are today.
