Rumor: Physical Xbox games say goodbye to retail

According to Christopher Dring, an employee of Gamesindustry.biz, physical games for the Xbox Series X could soon disappear completely from retail. In the Gamesindustry Microcast he commented as follows:

"I was told just before Christmas by a major publisher that across Europe some retailers are no longer stocking the Xbox."

The reason: Xbox "too digital"

Xbox consoles have become increasingly digitalized in recent years. Many users prefer to download games directly instead of buying physical copies. As a result, physical games perform less well in retail stores and the profit margins for retailers are often low. Therefore, to the chagrin of game collectors, more and more retailers are deciding to remove physical Xbox games from their shelves.

Possible indication of the next generation

Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research and Insights at Niko Partners, had the following response to Dring's claims:

"There are certain AAA games with over 80% digital share on Xbox these days, so it's not too surprising[...]It's certainly a hint of the next generation."

It doesn't seem unlikely that Microsoft will market the Xbox as an entirely digital console in the future. After all, Microsoft's new console (codenamed Brooklyn), which is expected to be launched as the improved Xbox Series X in October 2024, will no longer have a physical drive.