Physical Game Sales Rise For First Time Since 2009, But Don’t Celebrate Just Yet

If you’re like me and still cling to the romantic tradition of going to the local store to pick up a brand new game in its physical form, unboxing it on the way home, and slipping the disc into your console, you might want to enjoy those moments when you can.

For years, the gaming community has watched the gradual decline of physical media, feeling like a complete relic of the past in an era dominated by instant digital downloads. However, some shocking new data has just dropped, giving virtual software keepers a glimmer of hope – although you shouldn’t start popping the champagne just yet.

The Trend-Old Trend is Finally Breaking

According to a new report from a tracking company Abouta market research firm that tracks consumer spending across the United States, virtual video game sales in the US actually grew by 3%totaled $1.6 billion in the 12-month period ending May 2026.

If you look at the official chart data provided by the study, you will notice that this marks the first time the industry has seen year-over-year growth in consumer software spending since 2009.! Here, see:

It’s certainly a milestone, but (there’s always a “but”, sadly) the broader context behind it proves that this is a temporary lifestyle rather than a glorious comeback, and we should definitely take this 3% bump with a grain of salt. And we’re not even the ones who say this, as it turns out Matt Piscaellaexecutive director and video game industry consultant at Circana, best known for delivering accurate business insights.

According to Piscatella’s latest post on social media, while a 3% bump sounds good on paper, he was incredibly quick to bring everyone back to earth by reminding us that most of gaming is completely digital now. In fact, things have changed so much in the digital ecosystem that even the second-hand market is no longer relevant to the industry.

The real kicker comes when you look at adoption rates for modern console hardware across the United States. Piscatella notes that more than half of all Xbox Series consoles currently operating in the US don’t even include a physical disk drive. PlayStation isn’t far behind either, and more than a quarter of all PlayStation 5 systems sitting in American living rooms are completely digital.

When the real machines inside our homes are actively dropping the hardware needed to read discs, it’s becoming increasingly clear that portable software has a firm expiration date. On top of that thought, Piscatella warns us about something that we, as natural media lovers, don’t want to hear: “We may be less than a decade away from virtual software.”

Funnily enough, we have a strong example of an industry viewing visual media through a completely different lens Rockstar Games‘ the latest announcement about GTA 6: the highly anticipated title will not have a virtual disc. Instead, it will hit store shelves that simply contain a slip of paper with a digital download code – a clear example of how even if you’re buying physical, you’re still getting digital!

This is incredibly telling because, for decades, Rockstar has been praised for treating physical systems like premium collections, always making sure to include well-detailed visual maps and thick manual booklets inside the box. However, this latest confirmation tells you all you need to know about where the industry is headed.

Ultimately, this 3% spending miracle is a nice nostalgia trip and may be a glimmer of hope, but it doesn’t change the whole situation. Between all-digital console reviews and major publishers cutting corporate production fat, virtual media is still breathing on borrowed time – but I really hope Matt Piscatella and I are completely wrong, because of our fond memories of physical games.