Physical Media Just Can't Catch a Break Right Now | Push Square

pushsquare.com:

Korean manufacturer LG has announced that it’s discontinuing the production of all its standalone Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray players, following in the footsteps of Samsung and Oppo. The decision sounds yet another death knell for physical media, which has been on the decline for some years now.

In a statement to Flat Panels HD, the company didn’t completely confirm a global exit from the optical disc player market, potentially leaving the door open for future devices should Blu-ray’s fortunes improve. But for now, it’ll run down its existing inventory of players, and that’ll be that.

Up 10% from the previous August

Digital ratio increases again on PS5

Most manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic have not released new Blu-ray models since 2018, and the PS5 remains arguably one of the highest-profile players on the market today.

But even PlayStation has been slowly moving away from physical media. The PS5 Pro doesn’t ship with a disc drive by default, though an optional unit can be attached to allow for the use of boxed games. These have been in short supply recently, with Sony failing to provide enough stock to support the demand.

Generally, the vast majority of PlayStation software these days is purchased through the PS Store, but around 25% of games are still purchased on Blu-ray, which is not an insignificant number. We believe Sony will continue to support physical media, even if it is through an optional attachment like with the PS5 Pro.

But it’s clear the entire entertainment industry is heading in one direction, and that signals all sorts of potential concerns.

In the gaming industry, preservation is already an enormous issue, considering how many games rely on server-side interactions. Some titles, like The Crew, simply cease to play once the servers are switched off. In defence of developer Ivory Tower, it is taking steps to ensure that situation doesn’t reoccur with The Crew 2.

However, as consumers we should question what will happen when, one day, PSN is no