The second-hand online game market stands in jeopardy within the wake of Sony’s determination to finish the manufacturing of PlayStation discs by January 2028. The market, which analysts estimate is price $7.2bn globally, could possibly be destroyed on account of Sony’s controversial transfer.
That is in line with evaluation by Dataintelo (through CNBC), which mentioned the determine represents pre-owned video games, console {hardware}, equipment and peripherals concerned in transactions in 2025. The agency estimated it could attain $13.8bn by 2034. Of that $7.2bn, consoles accounted for 42.3 % of income.
North America was the dominant area, and is liable for 36.8 % of that sum, or an estimated $2.65bn in income. Within the US particularly, greater than 38 % of all online game transactions over the identical 12 months concerned a pre-owned sport.
In Europe, the market captured round 28.3 % of the worldwide second-hand income in 2025. Europe is the second-largest marketplace for pre-owned video games and {hardware}, in line with the report, with the UK, Germany, France and the Nordics being its prime adopters. GameStop, Amazon, eBay, and Decluttr led the market in North America, whereas CEX was the chief In Europe.
Asia Pacific held the third-largest spot, at an estimated 24.6 %. Latin America, and the Center East and Africa mixed held 10.3 of that commerce. Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Africa had been the international locations that witnessed the most important progress.
However whereas some retailers will proceed to hold code-in-box, vouchers and different methods of buying digital copies of video games, most will likely be devastated by that call.
„Realistically, at the least one-third of video games have been bought traditionally as used, and the video games that had been bought additionally offered foreign money to the gamer who traded them in as money to pay for brand spanking new video games,“ mentioned Wedbush Securities managing director of strategic planning, Michael Pachter. „Brick and mortar sport retail is doomed.“
Because the report factors out, affordability is the most important purpose that pushes gamers to the second-hand market, although its attain additionally extends to retro video games and {hardware}. Sony’s determination robs the patron of a lot of that alternative, as digital will grow to be the one solution to acquire video games. As a current report revealed, video games are nearly all the time cheaper at retail than they’re digitally.
Kazunori Ito, director of fairness analysis at Morningstar, mentioned they anticipate the market to proceed declining, earlier than vanishing solely.
„There is a vital distinction between gamers accepting that shift as a result of they see worth in it, and having it successfully compelled on them by taking away the choice,“ mentioned Ito. „Most would like to make that transition in their very own method and at their very own tempo, reasonably than having it pushed by the tip of bodily discs.“
It is price noting that whereas Sony’s determination will influence future releases, it has no impact on current discs presently in circulation. That mentioned, the transfer is a robust indication the PS6 will not have a disc drive, which, assuming it will be suitable with PS5 video games, will possible solely assist digital copies.
Whereas Microsoft has not introduced a technique or one other whether or not its next-gen Xbox, Challenge Helix, will too ditch the disc drive, reviews counsel the corporate is at the least engaged on a method for gamers to digitise their bodily collections.
