Only seven PlayStation 5 games have sold more than 100,000 physical copies in the US so far in 2026, according to Circana Senior Director and Video Game Industry Advisor Mat Piscatella.
Posting on Bluesky, Piscatella said that “2 PlayStation video games sold more than 10k physical units in the US during week ending July 11, 2026.”
He added, “7 have sold more than 100k physical units year-to-date.” The figures are based on the Circana Retail Tracking Service.
Responding to questions about the continued decline of physical game sales, Piscatella said retailers had already reduced their orders several years ago.
“Retail pulled back on orders years ago. They didn’t want to get stuck with inventory so they’d miss out on sales of hits. And have you looked at retail shelves in recent years? Many are half full (I’m an optimist), the games are behind glass and it’s a poor shopping experience,” he wrote.
Piscatella also addressed whether fewer physical releases have contributed to falling sales, saying, “Yes there are fewer games coming to physical. And the ones that are coming to physical are selling fewer units on average. Death spiral.”
Sony has announced that it will cease production of physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. This decision has sparked significant backlash from fans, who are urging Sony to continue supporting physical games. However, the gaming giant has not addressed these concerns and appears to be ignoring the criticism altogether.
