Xbox accounts for only 4% of physical game sales in 2026, far behind PS5 discs
Nintendo accounts for 63% of new physical game sales this year, while Xbox trails at just over 4%, Circana said.
- According to new data from market research firm Circana, Xbox software accounted for just over 4 percent of all new physical video games sold in the U.S. this year.
- Nintendo platforms led the market with 63 percent of physical game sales, while PlayStation hardware followed with 32 percent of the remaining share.
- Following its departure from Circana's digital data sharing panel, Xbox is no longer a participating publisher with the firm, limiting transparency on digital sales across platforms.
- As PlayStation prepares to discontinue discs in 2028, physical media sales continue waning, while the Xbox Series S offers no optical drive, pushing consumers toward digital purchases.
- Total content spending dropped 9 percent year-over-year in July, though subscriptions were the only category that increased, as Game Pass features day-one titles during critical launch weeks.
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12 Articles
Xbox accounts for only 4% of physical game sales in 2026, far behind PS5 discs
Xbox fans are leading the charge toward an all-digital future. A new Circana U.S. sales report shows how few Series X owners choose physical games. The Series S and Game Pass day-one releases may be why PS5 discs and Switch 2 cartridges are more appealing.
Nintendo dominates physical sales: 63% of the new physical games sold in the United States in 2026 correspond to Nintendo platforms, although it has not been specified what percentage belongs to Nintendo Switch 2 and which to Nintendo Switch. This is what Circana has shared today, along with these additional details: PlayStation and Xbox: PlayStation platforms account for 32% of physical sales, while Xbox barely exceeds 4%. Physical format still…
63% of new physical games sold this year in the US have been on Nintendo platforms
As revealed by Circana, 63 percent of new physical games sold this year in the United States have been on Nintendo platforms. It’s unclear what the breakdown is between Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. For those wondering, 32 percent of physical games sold were on PlayStation platforms. Xbox had just over four percent. Sony announced that it would stop producing... The post 63% of new physical games sold this year in the US have been on Nintendo pl…
Xbox Has Reportedly Pulled Out Of Sharing Digital Sales Data With Circana
EA said to have done the same thing.When it comes to sales reports across the games industry, some of them only provide estimated figures because analysis firms don't have all the definitive details, but Circana actually receives digital sales data from various publishers including Sony, SEGA, Konami, Capcom and others - and until very recently, Xbox and EA as well.However, the firm is reporting this week (via Kotaku) that both Xbox and EA have …
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