Physical Media Is Making a Comeback. The Next Console Generation Might Kill It

We each know next-generation consoles are successful the works. Yes, we're six years into the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, mostly owed to constituent shortages and outgo spikes from AI demands connected the wider tech sector, but Sony has already teased a “future console” successful the adjacent fewer years, and Microsoft confirmed the adjacent Xbox is codenamed Project Helix, apt owed successful 2028.

Gamers tin probably expect each of the modular customary upgrades—faster processors, much almighty GPUs, much storage, each if constituent supplies and manufacturing capacities let for them. But there’s 1 diagnostic some Sony and Microsoft perfectly indispensable keep, immoderate the adjacent gen ends up looking like: the not-so-humble 4K Blu-ray disc drive.

Keep It Old School

This mightiness look an unusual statement to make. After all, some companies look to person been retreating from discs since time 1 of the existent generation. Both the Xbox Series S and the PS5 Digital Edition deficiency a disc drive, and Sony adjacent dropped the diagnostic from the much almighty PS5 Pro—though some that and the Digital exemplary tin beryllium upgraded with the sold-separately disc thrust peripheral.

Already, galore “on disc” releases incorporate lone an installation battalion oregon bearer token for a integer mentation of the game, overmuch similar the Nintendo Switch 2’s Game Key cards, arsenic record sizes transcend adjacent the 100 GB of information that tin beryllium stored connected a triple-layer 4K Blu-ray. For collectors oregon fans of carnal media, the absorption of question already looks depressing.

However, determination are plentifulness of reasons wherefore some manufacturers should cling to a disc drive. The astir evident is to enactment backward compatibility with older games, a hugely charismatic diagnostic for console owners. Both businesses admit this, and some enactment older disc games arsenic good arsenic integer versions. Xbox takes a much tailored attack to backward compatibility, though, giving players entree to prime games from each console procreation backmost to the 2001 original. Recently, Jason Ronald, vice president of Next Generation astatine Xbox, said Microsoft is “committed to keeping games from 4 generations of Xbox playable for years to come” with Project Helix, which is bully news, adjacent if helium stopped abbreviated of confirming enactment for disc-based games connected the machine.

Meanwhile, the PS5 supports each but a tiny fistful of PS4 games. Earlier PlayStation games are locked out—the PS3’s infamously unorthodox “Cell” processor inactive proves an obstacle to supporting its games connected newer hardware, portion PS2 and PS1 discs haven’t been playable connected immoderate console aboriginal than the archetypal “fat” PS3 model. If the PS6 kept a disc thrust and cracked that problem, adjacent if by simply having capable earthy powerfulness to brute unit the processing for those tricky PS3-era games, there’s a legion of PlayStation fans who’d beryllium highly excited.

The biggest statement successful favour of keeping the 4K disc thrust isn’t to bash with games astatine all, though. Instead, it’s that for galore owners, a PS5 oregon Xbox Series X is the best, astir accessible enactment for owning a disc subordinate of any benignant nowadays—and contrary to perceived wisdom, carnal media is presently enjoying thing of a resurgence.

Retro Revival

It’s casual to presume that each carnal media is dead, and there’s nary denying the full assemblage is struggling. By immoderate metrics, it truly does look to beryllium crippled over—for movie and TV, streaming services inactive person the lion’s stock of eyeballs, video games are overwhelmingly digitally distributed, and the bulk of euphony is consumed digitally, contempt the immense resurgence of vinyl grounds sales.

Yet adjacent arsenic integer media appears to predominate each portion of amusement we consume, income of 4K UHD Blu-rays specifically are really growing. According to probe from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), arsenic noted by FlatPanelsHD, income of the disc format roseate successful the US successful 2025, climbing 12 percent connected 2024’s income figures and marking the archetypal uptick successful years.