Xbox May Also Be Killing Physical Discs — and PS5 Owners Won't Take It Well

Sony's decision to end physical disc support for PS5 is already drawing massive backlash, and a new Xbox rumour suggests Microsoft could be heading in the same direction — which would likely make the anger across the gaming community even louder.

The article doesn't detail the specific Xbox rumour beyond framing it as a parallel move away from physical media, but the implication is clear: if both major console platforms abandon disc-based games, players who prefer physical ownership will have nowhere left to turn. Sony's announcement has already sparked significant community outrage over concerns about game preservation, resale rights, and the long-term value of physical libraries.

The shift away from physical media has been a slow-burning trend across the industry. Sony already sells a discless PS5 Digital Edition, and Microsoft has pushed hard into digital and subscription gaming through Xbox Game Pass. Both companies have financial incentives to move players onto digital storefronts, where they control pricing and there's no second-hand market to compete with. Physical game sales have been declining for years, but a hard platform-level cutoff is a different proposition entirely — it effectively strands existing disc collections.

If the Xbox rumour proves accurate, the combined pressure from both Sony and Microsoft abandoning physical media could accelerate the industry's full pivot to digital-only, leaving physical game advocates with few options and a lot of frustration.