A new rumor suggests that Target could be phasing out its physical sales next year as a result of the growing prominence of digital media.
Highlights
- Target is rumored to discontinue physical media sales of movies and games in 2025, following the trend set by other retailers like Best Buy.
- Debates on the future of physical vs. digital media intensify as the industry shifts towards digital-only releases.
- Concerns were raised about preservation of old video games if disc drives are phased out, but for now, rumors of Target's plans remain unconfirmed.
Target may be doing away with physical media for movies and video games next year, at least according to a new rumor. The discussion of whether or not physical releases still have a place in the gaming industry has only intensified in recent years, with most titles being made available to purchase digitally without having to ever step foot inside a brick-and-mortar retailer like Target. The advent of subscription gaming services like Xbox Game Pass has added a new wrinkle to the conversation, as gamers can now access an entire digital library of games for a fraction of the price of a single physical copy.
Even though physical copies of video games are still being sold, including collector’s editions with special bonuses like statues and artbooks, many customers gravitate toward their digital counterparts out of convenience. Both Sony and Microsoft offer disc-free versions of their PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series hardware, and there is speculation that the current console generation could be the last to offer physical releases. However, people like GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen have stressed the continued importance of physical media in the gaming industry, and there are plenty of gamers who still prefer discs to downloads.
These gamers might be in for some bad news, as a new rumor suggests that Target is phasing out its physical media sales. This rumor comes from Twitter user President Of Physical Media, who claims that inside sources told them that Target is looking to cease all physical media sales both in-store and online by 2025. This is by no means an official confirmation, but other users in the comment section have noted that the movies and gaming sections of their local Target stores have gotten smaller over the past few years, adding credence to the rumor.
Stores Have Been Phasing Out Physical Media
If this rumor is true, then Target is only the latest retailer to begin phasing out physical media over the past few years. Last year, Best Buy announced its own plans to stop selling physical media, and Wal-Mart reportedly planned to remove physical copies of Starfield following a report from that the massive retail chain was allegedly planning its own phase-out of physical media. Even Microsoft might be shifting gears toward digital-only releases in the future, as it laid off much of its physical media team back in January.
The possible end of physical video game sales doesn’t sit well with everyone, especially those concerned with preserving old video games that could become lost media if disc drives are phased out completely. However, it is worth mentioning that this report of Target ending physical media sales by 2025 is still just a rumor at this point, and there are still plenty of outlets for physical game media at the moment.
