If you only looked at digital game sales, you might think physical media is on its way out. But when it comes to buying a PlayStation 5, American players are telling a very different story. New data from market research firm Circana shows that the PS5 Digital Edition has made up just 27% of all PS5 hardware sales in the United States since launch. That means nearly three out of four buyers have chosen to pay more for the model with a disc drive.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared the updated figures through June 2026, which also show a big difference compared to Xbox. While the digital-only PS5 makes up 27% of PlayStation 5 sales, digital-only Xbox Series X|S models account for 52% of Xbox hardware sales. The new figure is higher than data Piscatella shared in 2024, when the PS5 Digital Edition represented 18% of total US PS5 sales as of September that year.
There are several possible reasons behind the gap. Some players want to preserve their game collections and use their existing PS4 discs through backward compatibility, while others like being able to buy cheaper second-hand games or sell games once they’ve finished them. Even players who mostly buy digital games may still want that option available.
The numbers also challenge Sony’s long-term digital strategy. The company has increasingly pushed digital distribution, which cuts out retailers and lets Sony keep a larger share of each sale. In addition, Sony plans to stop making physical game discs for new PlayStation titles from January 2028. However, these figures further suggest that most players have not yet made the switch to digital-only.
It’s also worth noting that the PS5 Digital Edition reportedly had much lower stock than the standard model when the console first launched, and many buyers reported throughout the following years that it was still difficult to find. That may also have lowered its share of sales, as limited stock could have affected sales as much as consumer demand.
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