TECH NEWS – A GSD study analysed the purchasing preferences of PS5 users.

The latest version of the PlayStation, the PS5, is set to launch on 19 November 2020, a year that, despite Sony’s console putting up excellent numbers in terms of sales, is not easy for the company. Serious production problems across the industry have forced them to cut back production to some extent. Enough data has accumulated on the new PlayStation for Gamesindustry to produce its Global Sales Data study for the console.

GSD has analysed the purchasing preferences of PS5 users in Europe, and these reflect a priority for the physical format over digital.

Analyst Sam Naji tracked sales and found that 51% more physical games were sold at retail than digital.

This gap has grown over the months: by the end of August 2021, there were 3 physical games sold for every 2 digital games. This trend clashes with overall PlayStation figures, where digital distribution now accounts for 62% of total game sales.

Sam Naji has outlined some possible explanations for this unusual phenomenon. According to him, the high price of new PS5 games would be an important factor influencing the buying decision, and they would instead invest in a physical product that they can then rent or sell. Naji pointed out that new console buyers prefer to build up a physical library of games. At the same time, digital sales are more likely to be supported by catalogues of older titles, which are still scarce due to the PS5’s relatively new market launch.

Source: Gamesindustry