A new Xbox rumor has fans worried about the end of physical games. Every year, digital gaming grows in popularity, largely due to the convenience of buying games digitally. That said, the combination of collectors and those gaming on a budget — as physical games go on sale quicker and deeper, and they can be traded back in and shared — has been enough to keep the retail market alive. Further, in parts of the world, where a good Internet connection is impossible, digital gaming isn’t really an option. All of this suggests the physical games market is going nowhere, however, a new rumor has some questioning this line of thinking.
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A new rumor out of Brazil suggests that physical games will no longer be manufactured and distributed in Brazil. While far from the biggest market in the world, the Brazilian market is a substantial market, so this would be a major development. And as a result, this rumor has many remarking about this being the beginning of the end of the physical games market, at least as we know it.ย
As for the rumor itself, it comes from Brazilian website NERDIZMO, and through translation, so take it with a grain of salt. However, according to the website major upcoming releases like Hogwarts Legacy and Resident Evil 4 on Xbox will not be receiving a retail release. And if these major releases aren’t, then you assume most games will follow suit. According to Nerdizmo, the change is the result of low sales of physical Xbox games. In other words, it’s simply not worth the endeavor for retailers.ย
For now, there’s nothing that suggests some monumental shift will follow this in the global market. In Europe, the United States, and other major markets, there’s still too much demand for physical Xbox games. However, like many are remarking about the news over on video game forum Reset Era, it’s not a good sign and perhaps the first marker of a gradual market shift from physical to digital.ย
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