Best Buy to Reportedly Stop Selling Physical Games by 2024

Best Buy will reportedly halt selling all physical media from Blu-Rays to video games starting by the first quarter of 2024.

Physical Game Sales are Declining

Earlier this year, a report revealed that sales of physical games are continuously declining. This is mainly attributed to the increasing popularity of the digital versions of the game titles which are considered to be more cost-efficient than producing physical copies.

Moreover, gamers seemed to find comfort in buying games in digital format as they can easily just purchase and play the game right away without leaving their home. This became more convincing during the pandemic when people were forced to stay at home, leaving gamers with one choice but to buy digital games.

The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association estimated that almost 90 percent of the games sold in 2022 were digitally downloaded. This number left physical copies with only 10 percent in sales, further proving its declining appeal to gamers.

Best Buy to Follow Tesco's Move

Last July, U.K. retailer Tesco announced that the company will stop stocking physical game discs once the current inventory runs out. The company also confirmed that the decision is directly attributed to the increasing demand for digital copies of video games.

The Digital Bits reported that Best Buy will not only stop selling physical media in-store but will also halt its operations to sell such products online. The changes will apply to Blu-Rays, DVDs, 4K Ultra HD discs, and collectible steelbooks. Best Buy has yet to confirm the news.

Once confirmed, this would leave Walmart, Target, and Amazon as the remaining big retailers that will sell physical media. Physical media enthusiasts would have a smaller pool to choose from and soon enough some retailers might follow through within the next few years.