More than ever, this console generation has put a massive emphasis on digital media, leaving those who love buying and collecting physical games for their PlayStation 5 or Xbox in a difficult spot. That, plus a winding down of Blu-ray production in general, has made things a lot harder than they’ve ever been.
However, two Japanese Blu-ray suppliers are fighting the good fight, recently affirming their commitment to production so that physical media can continue to be enjoyed for the long haul.
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As first spotted by Automaton-Media, I-O Data and Verbatim Japan have announced that they will fortify their partnership in order to continue supplying both Blu-ray drives and discs. To do so, they will work to secure the necessary components, along with continued efforts to develop new products for those who use Blu-ray products.
The companies “are working together to create an environment in which customers who need Blu-ray drives/discs can use them with peace of mind,” a press release said. “We are pleased to announce that we will strengthen our partnership and strive to continue providing products.”
The commitment by I-O Data and Verbatim Japan comes as more companies have pulled out of the Blu-ray business altogether, including Pioneer, as well as Regza and Sony for Blu-ray recorders and end-of-sales for Buffalo and Elecom.
In 2025, physical game spending only fell by 11 percent in the United States but overall spending reached just $1.5 billion, the lowest on record, according to data released by Circana.
So, in 2025 US new physical video game spending fell 11% compared to 2024. This is the lowest rate of decline since 2021 (-8%), and far better than the -28% recorded in 2024. However, spending on new physical video games also reached only $1.5 billion in 2025, an all-time tracked (since 1995) low.
— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2026-03-02T23:39:52.024Z
In general, the market has slowly declined. In 2008, physical video game spending peaked at $11.6 billion. It’s declined every year since then before essentially bottoming out. That lines up with the general state of the video game industry and the world at large, with more people upgrading to Wi-Fi and systems becoming more sophisticated for handling digital media.
It’s unlikely we’ll see a massive shift back to physical media, but at least there are companies working to try and service the people that are still invested in having physical collections. How long that lasts remains to be seen, but the effort is clearly there for the time being.
- Date Founded
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May 7, 1946
- Subsidiaries
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Sony Pictures, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Imagesoft, Sony Online Entertainment
- Headquarters
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Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
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