Gambit2483
Member
Because they are greedy assholes that would rather force you to buy extra hardware and if you don't, great, now they have you by the balls now that you are trapped in their closed (expensive) digital store.
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Disc Editions Make Up 82% of All PS5 Console Sales
- Thread starter Lunatic_Gamer
- Start date
- News Business Hardware
Rocco Schiavone
Member
That's why they release their consoles in white now. They know more people want the standart black color and they earn additional money by selling faceplates.
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Guardian Monkey
Member
But seeing like 60-70% are digital sales on this platform why would a large amount of people want to pay for the drive that are digital only. It’s not like there is not a cost associated with that. If you want the drive, you can buy it. Would you be more happy if all the consoles were $680US with a drive included?
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Aenima
Member
Sony manufactured much more Physical versions than Digital. During the 1st 2 years when all PS5 were sold out there was already a 80% PS5 with disk to around 20% digital only. Dunno if anything changed since they started manufacturing the slim version that used the detachable disk drive.
Sony dosent care about making the Pro a mainstream machine, the PS4 Pro was very niche as well. They have the normal PS5 for the mainstream audience where the profit margins in hardware are very small, and now they launched the Pro for a niche audience but they want bigger profit margins for it. Its very sinple and i dont know why ppl have such a hard time understanding the business model. Its the same as the Dulsense Edge, more feautures with a premium price. Not for mainstream audience.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Software splits begs to differ. But the option is there for the 30% who buy discs.
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mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Yeah the OP is kinda leaving out this important information. Not cool OP, not cool!
FoxMcChief
Gold Member
I did both angles with my wife last night.
FoxMcChief
Gold Member
And people called Brokeback Mountain gay!? The look that Sly has might be the gayest look I’ve ever seen.
Haint
Member
Problem is this data suggests the consumer's desire for the hardware option is irrefutable and represents a huge super majority, regardless of their actual software buying habits. The idea they would voluntarily try to stack a niche who wants a $700 better upscaling console, on top of an 18% Digital Only niche seems incredibly stupid, and runs completely counter to both common sense and business sense. They're intentionally double limiting their potential market stacking undesirable niches like that, when they had this data the whole time saying that's a stupid as fuck thing to do.
Even if we accept the baseless argument that digital editions now command 50%+ of new sales (incredibly unlikely), that's still a huge market to willingly ignore. A digital only $700 console represents such incredible hubris I fully expected the split to be 90/10 in digital's favor, but it's actually the opposite. The guys running Playstation these days are seriously fucking retarded.
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nightmare-slain
Gold Member
I’m one of those without the drive. I have no need for it. Haven’t bought a physical game on Playstation in 11+ years.
if next gen is all digital only I won’t mind at all. There is no point in physical games anymore. with music, movies, books I could argue for having physical products because they offer a better experience. well not so much books but cds/vinyl and bluray are better quality than streaming. video games on disc don’t offer a better experience.
Music/movie enthusiasts can buy their physical media and get higher quality. Gaming enthusiasts are basically PC gamers and PC ditched physical games a long time ago. Also, the PS5 Pro doesn’t even come with a drive. So to me that clearly shows the future of gaming and it’s all digital.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony and Microsoft ditch drives next gen. They are definitely getting people used to it with digital only options. But they know how stubborn console gamers are so they are doing it slow. They should’ve ripped the band aid off years ago. The PS4/XB1 should’ve released without disc drives.
if next gen is all digital only I won’t mind at all. There is no point in physical games anymore. with music, movies, books I could argue for having physical products because they offer a better experience. well not so much books but cds/vinyl and bluray are better quality than streaming. video games on disc don’t offer a better experience.
Music/movie enthusiasts can buy their physical media and get higher quality. Gaming enthusiasts are basically PC gamers and PC ditched physical games a long time ago. Also, the PS5 Pro doesn’t even come with a drive. So to me that clearly shows the future of gaming and it’s all digital.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony and Microsoft ditch drives next gen. They are definitely getting people used to it with digital only options. But they know how stubborn console gamers are so they are doing it slow. They should’ve ripped the band aid off years ago. The PS4/XB1 should’ve released without disc drives.
Putonahappyface
Member
The day that digital gaming becomes compulsory I'll gladly find a new hobby and quit gaming permanently. Fucking peculiar stance not wanting people to have the option of actually owning their purchases.
I have no problem with those that like digital media, just don't force it upon those who don't want it and give people the option!
HogIsland
Member
The problem with this: why would any retailer stock discs?
Where’s the source for 70% digital? must have missed that
Radical_3d
Member
Despite them heavily pushing digital with an edition closer to what the market thinks is what a console should cost. Fuck you, Sony! Physical will never die, there are 82% of us…
Astray
Member
If demand exists then retailers and publishers will be there.
Here in my local market, Physical is still very plentiful because demand exists.
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DerivedDataCache
Member
Ofourse. Console users like to trade in their games.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Even people who are 100% digital still like having the drive "just in case"
Which is why Sony is trying to get rid of the drive, they no longer want to offer a "just in case" option
Which is why Sony is trying to get rid of the drive, they no longer want to offer a "just in case" option
HogIsland
Member
i live in a major american city. indie game shops barely exist anymore, and there's half as many gamestops as there were 10 years ago. the shelves at best buy, target, walmart, etc are nothing compared to what they were in the PS4 era. some of this was likely exacerbated by covid, but there's no reason to believe it's going to reverse.
Astray
Member
I generally believe that those who share the wealth get benefits from it.
The shift to digital cuts out retailers from the virtuous cycle and will have negative effects on the gaming industry that it's not foreseeing rn.
ReBurn
Gold Member
I have two disc versions, OG and slim, and I have never purchased a physical PS5 game.
HogIsland
Member
On console, I see the need to be a hold-out for physical games, but i don't have any sympathy for big box retailers like those i listed. the videogame industry has always been hostile to the indie store, and there's never been a time when i got the majority of games from one. So like, there's not really this feel-good, help out the common man element to buying physical games. gamestop has always been a particularly dogshit company.
sony is going to effectively kill physical (while maybe leaving out the possibility for discs in like uganda) and people are going to have to decide whether they accept Sony's monopoly on Playstation game distribution. I would get out now, personally.
Killer8
Member
Digitards* in shambles. Even if people are buying less physical media and more of their library than ever is digital, it shows people still want the option there.
(*by digitards I mean specifically people who cheerlead the total death of physical media, not anyone who chooses to go all digital themselves. That's their choice and I respect it.)
(*by digitards I mean specifically people who cheerlead the total death of physical media, not anyone who chooses to go all digital themselves. That's their choice and I respect it.)
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Or it could be viewed as a "consumer first based" decision to keep the price of the console lower.
At least with current digital PS5 you have the option to add the drive later. Whereas the OG PS5 digis didn't.
Dorfdad
Gold Member
Misleading numbers when all they offered for a few years was the BASE with disc. I would assume that mass majority bought on or around launch or within the first few years of DISC only consoles.
Disc editions of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) make up a majority of its console sales in the United States.
According to the latest data from Circana, 82% of the lifetime sales of the PS5 are those with a disc drive. That puts digital-only consoles at just 18% of the total sales.
Sony has made a push in recent years for players to move to the digital-only version of its system. Not only does the company charge less for the digital-only PS5, but the new PS5 Pro only comes in a digital version. In order to play discs, you’ll have to buy a disc drive separately, adding more to your cost.
That said, it appears that, so far at least, players are ok with spending a little extra for the option to play physical media on their console. And while a digital-only future seems likely for games, it doesn’t look like gamers are ready to fully go that route yet.
Disc Editions Make Up 82% Of All PS5 Console Sales
Gamers still want the option for discs as over 80% of all PS5 console sales in the US have been for the disc edition.insider-gaming.com
Also Game sales show a different number as over 60% of all sales are digital now \.
If Sony were trying to "get rid of the drive" why did they bother with the disc drive add on for the PS5 slim? Why did they make it compatible with the PS5 pro?
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proandrad
Member
More options is always better, but most of us didn’t have a choice. I would have picked the digital one if any were available.
Mibu no ookami
Demoted Member® Pro™
I bought a launch PS5 standard because I couldn't find a digital. It was by far my preference to buy the digital since I wasn't going to use the drive and because it looked nicer.
When the digital became more readily available with the slim, they had raised the price by 50 dollars making it less of a value proposition and it seems clear they were selling the digital at 400 because they felt pressure from the XSS and when that pressure subsided they said no mas.
When the digital became more readily available with the slim, they had raised the price by 50 dollars making it less of a value proposition and it seems clear they were selling the digital at 400 because they felt pressure from the XSS and when that pressure subsided they said no mas.
Gambit2483
Member
You really think Sony has our best interest at heart and are looking out for us?
plip.plop
Member
But now Sony will make an extra $80 off everybody who wants a disc drive but won't use it anyway. They are streamlining their manufacturing process which is smart, and give people the option to add a disc drive later if they want it.
DeepEnigma
Gold Member
Bet it's not much different in other regions five or take a few % points either direction.
Dr.brain64
Member
All digital. I use it for 4k movies.
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Power Pro
Gold Member
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I think digital is not something that everyone is demanding for video games, but it's being forced on them by the companies who want more money, but give the customer less.
stickkidsam
Member
I drove 6 hours to pick Dragon Ball Sparking Zero because it was the only physical copy available. I’m tired of purchasing digital games lol
asdasdasdbb
Member
Wut
Even if you wanted a physical copy, you should be able to just order it and have it shipped.
stickkidsam
Member
Only had a Best Buy gift card to my name and none of the Best Buy’s had shipping for it.
Kupfer
Member
Thats what I call dedication!
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
They are trying to push the misleading narrative to make themselves feel better. Fact is it doesn’t matter how much physical ps5 sell now.
StereoVsn
Gold Member
Let’s not kid ourselves. This is the way to jack up the price, not lower it. Sony can sell digital console versions for same price or higher vs disk ones came before (way higher in case of Pro) AND charge extra for the drive and even cheap to make stand.
They are basically brazenly bumping up margins while driving customers to locked down and more profitable digital only store.
It boggles my mind that people are happy to accept this but it is what it is.
Personally I suspect I will be Switch 2 / PC customer in the future while keeping my PS5/XSX for older games.
And yes, while PC is digital, the gaming market there is completely different vs locked down console stores.
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ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
And Sony fully understand what is going on here. They are not stupid. Selling the disc drive separately is a win-win situation for Sony.
They get to earn extra by selling the disc drive to the physical players, and if they don’t, these players are digital players and help tilt the platform to digital. Basically paying for the disc drive tax
th4tguy
Member
Sony PlayStation digital software unit sales share as of Q1 FY24. In the first fiscal quarter of 2024, approximately 80 percent of Sony Corporation's PlayStation gaming sales were generated via digital downloads.
Disk systems sold at about an 80/20 split because that’s about the ratio Sony produced/ sold them here in the states.
Took a lot of hunting to find a digital version of the Ps5 for myself. No way was I buying the ps5 hump edition.
Disk systems sold at about an 80/20 split because that’s about the ratio Sony produced/ sold them here in the states.
Took a lot of hunting to find a digital version of the Ps5 for myself. No way was I buying the ps5 hump edition.
MiguelItUp
Member
Makes sense to me. Especially when people are starting to realize that in most cases you don't really "own" digital items. However, when you own a physical item, it IS in your possession and it IS yours. Unfortunately that isn't the case with all games as some need online to be played, etc. But hey, it's a step in the right direction IMO.
I just never had a hard decision when physical and digital were/are the same price. I feel like it makes more sense to own physical personally, as it feels like your money is going further. If digital WAS cheaper, and it should be IMO, it'd be a different story.
I just never had a hard decision when physical and digital were/are the same price. I feel like it makes more sense to own physical personally, as it feels like your money is going further. If digital WAS cheaper, and it should be IMO, it'd be a different story.
Isa
Member
I mainly use mine for movies and shows while my game collection for over a decade across multiple systems is digital. But that's been breaking thankfully, a sort of bad habit of mine. FOMO and more like fear of late deliveries even though I often don't play on release day making me preorder and get games digitally at launch even though I have a gargantuan backlog to work through. I've still gotten some games physically but those were the odd ones out. But lately I've done a full 180 and gone back to physical and when I feel like it. Films, books and some manga, especially when on sale I'll snag right away as that gets the most of our time(my gf and I). For us it just makes more sense and in this economy that's getting tighter we've been making some changes to get more bang for our buck.
Also got the PS5Pro coming and already have a disc drive waiting. tl;dr I've gone back to buying games physically since PS4 launched.
Also got the PS5Pro coming and already have a disc drive waiting. tl;dr I've gone back to buying games physically since PS4 launched.