Sony's decision to abandon physical media starting in 2028 has stirred up considerable controversy in the video game industry. While the Japanese company and some major publishers insist that the future is exclusively digital, sales figures for Resident Evil Requiem tell a very different story. Capcom's latest blockbuster, which has already surpassed 8 million units sold worldwide, has demonstrated that millions of gamers still prefer to have the physical copy on their shelf.
Figures compiled by journalist Christopher Dring of The Game Business and the consulting firm Ampere Analysis reveal a huge disparity between markets. While in the United States physical media accounts for a modest 22% of sales, in other countries like France and Japan the situation is completely different. These numbers have reopened the debate about whether the disappearance of the disc is truly what most gamers want or whether, on the contrary, it is an imposition by large corporations.
A sales breakdown that contradicts the official narrative
The data for Resident Evil Requiem is compelling and shows that consumer behavior varies drastically by region. In the United States, where broadband penetration is high and digital purchasing habits are more established, physical copies accounted for only 22%. However, across the Atlantic, the story is completely different.
In France, physical editions of the game accounted for an impressive 55% of total sales, while in Japan the percentage reached 51%. Australia registered 43% and the UK a solid 40%. These figures, compiled by Dring and reported by several specialized media outlets, demonstrate that demand for discs remains very strong in much of the world.
Given that the game has sold over 8 million units, and applying a conservative estimate based on the weight of each market, the number of physical copies would be around 3 million. That's certainly not a small amount. And as Dring rightly points out, even if that percentage were reduced to 10% across all games in both formats, we'd still be talking about billions of dollars at stake.
Capcom and its stance on physical media
The Japanese company has been one of those that has sided with Sony in this transition to digital. Capcom claims that 90% of its total sales are digital , an argument it has used to justify that the disappearance of physical media would not seriously affect its business. However, the sales figures for Resident Evil Requiem seem to contradict this position.
The fact that physical copies of the game sold out almost immediately after its release, and that in countries like France and Japan they account for more than half of sales, suggests that the demand for discs is not negligible. Industry analysts emphasize that even 10% of sales for a multinational of this size represents a multi-million dollar market that no publisher can afford to simply abandon.
The controversy has been further fueled by the recent leak of full copies of the game ahead of its release on Nintendo Switch 2, something Capcom has already announced it will address. The company has released a free demo on the console's eShop, though it has clarified that progress cannot be transferred to the full version.
The second-hand market and manufacturing costs
Another aspect that has emerged in this debate is the value of the used video game market, which, according to a recent analysis, reaches $7.200 billion and has grown in recent years. Gamers find in this type of buying and selling the opportunity to acquire the titles they want at a lower price, something that would disappear completely if physical media ceased to exist.
Furthermore, an investigation by Stephen Totilo has revealed details about the ordering and manufacturing process for physical copies of PS5 and Xbox Series X games. Publishers must sign contracts with Sony and Microsoft, the owners of the platforms, and the manufacturing cost for each physical copy is 15% of the suggested retail price. In the case of a $70 title, the manufacturing cost per copy would be $10,50.
Strauss Zelnick, director of Take-Two Interactive, has also weighed in, stating that a digital release for GTA VI is the most sensible approach since physical copies no longer make sense for most modern gamers. However, this stance contradicts the sales figures for Resident Evil Requiem.
Resident Evil Requiem leads sales in the UK
The latest UK best-seller list, published by GamesIndustry, places Resident Evil Requiem at the top of the charts , dethroning Splatoon Raiders, which debuted in first place the previous week. Capcom's game has climbed from sixth to number one, demonstrating its continued enormous commercial appeal.
The list also features other titles from the saga, such as Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Gold Edition, which have re-entered the top 40. This resurgence of the franchise in the sales charts coincides with the release of the demo on Nintendo Switch 2 and all the controversy surrounding the physical format.
The presence of multiple Resident Evil games on the UK bestseller list is a clear indication that the franchise is thriving. And the fact that Requiem tops the charts, with 40% of its sales in physical format in that market, reinforces the idea that British gamers still value discs.
With all this data on the table, it seems clear that Sony's decision to eliminate support for physical games starting in 2028 is, at the very least, premature. The figures for Resident Evil Requiem demonstrate that the physical format remains a multi-million dollar source of revenue for the industry, and that there are millions of gamers worldwide who prefer to own the game on their shelves, without depending on a digital license that can expire at any time. The disparity between markets is a factor that Sony seems determined to ignore, but the numbers are there, and they're undeniable.