Resident Evil Requiem PS5 sales nearly double Xbox sales analyst finds
The Digital Dilemma: Why Physical Discs Are Still Making Waves in the World of Resident Evil
The gaming industry is currently grappling with a major shift: the slow, deliberate phasing out of physical game discs. Sony has announced plans to stop manufacturing new PlayStation discs starting in 2028, signaling a clear move toward a fully digital ecosystem. But as this transition looms, a fascinating financial contradiction emerges from a recent blockbuster title, suggesting that the old way of selling games might be more stubborn than anticipated.
At the heart of this dilemma is Resident Evil Requiem, which is already proving to be a massive success. Having sold eight million copies and established itself as the fastest-selling game in the franchise to date, the game is a clear powerhouse. Yet, its sales data throws a wrench into the narrative that physical media is obsolete.
In a telling comparison, reports indicate that the game’s revenue streams reveal a significant pull for physical copies. The sales of Resident Evil Requiem show that physical sales on PlayStation contributed substantially to the overall revenue. Specifically, physical copies sold through the PlayStation platform accounted for a large portion of the game’s earnings, making the traditional disc format far more lucrative than a purely digital model in this instance.
For context, the physical sales of the game on PlayStation represented about 15% of the total game revenue, and even more impressively, they generated 30.2% of all revenue recorded on the PlayStation platform. This breakdown suggests that for major, high-demand titles, the physical purchase remains a critical revenue driver for the publishers.
This data introduces a complex layer to Sony’s digital strategy. While the move to eliminate physical discs aims for efficiency, the reality is that these physical buyers are not necessarily defecting wholesale. The continued demand for physical ownership, especially for major franchise entries, suggests that the barrier to switching to digital might be higher than initially assumed.
Furthermore, the reaction from the content creators themselves is notably relaxed about the shift. While the industry pushes for a digital-only future, developers like Capcom appear relatively unconcerned about the physical market’s fate. Since a significant majority of sales are already digital, the immediate pressure on physical media seems less urgent than previously imagined.
Ultimately, the story of Resident Evil Requiem is a reminder that technology can change how we deliver content, but it cannot entirely erase the enduring appeal of tangible ownership. As the gaming landscape evolves, the continued financial success of physical sales proves that the tradition of the disc is far from dead—it is simply adapting to the digital age.
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