Recent years have shown us that there is a huge discrepancy between digital and physical copies sales of games, especially for Xbox. As such, we are beginning to see its effects on some regions. Our team at TopTierList found an article on a Brazilian site revealing the many things happening in the country’s gaming market. It seems like physical copies of many Xbox games are no longer manufactured or distributed in Brazil.
Since the article is in Portuguese, we translated it to the best of our abilities, presenting the main highlights of what is happening. Some of the big upcoming games, including Hogwarts Legacy and Resident Evil 4, will not have a blu-ray disc version for Xbox in Brazil’s domestic market. In addition, they are for pre-orders only for PlayStation.
The biggest reason for that is the low sales of video games on physical media in the domestic market. Even though these low numbers are evident in other markets, it seems like Brazil would be the first one to show its effects.
Physical Discs XboxMajor Points
- Physical copies of Xbox games will no longer be manufactured and distributed in Brazil.
- The problem is likely exclusive to only Xbox.
- The most prominent reasons for that include low sales and preference for Xbox Game Pass.
The Brazilian site Nerdizmo confirmed through some manufacturers and major stores regarding the matter. According to them, many future games will no longer receive a blu-ray disc version for Xbox in the market, and the first games to do this are Hogwarts Legacy and Resident Evil 4.
Both those titles are highly anticipated, and if they get this treatment, others will most likely get it as well. However, the games are put for pre-order for PlayStation. It can be further confirmed through the official REVIL website, which claims, “Resident Evil 4 will be exclusive, in physical media format, for those who have PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 in Brazil.”
The biggest reason for this is the low video game sales in physical media format. Even though we can see it happening more and more recently, Brazil is the first one to witness the effects, and Xbox is the one that severely suffers from it.
So why is the physical media still continuing for PlayStation? Because Sony dominates a significant portion of the market, and even though they compete with Xbox in the console and video game side, PlayStation still benefits from the physical media.
In the case of Xbox, the users vastly prefer Xbox Game Pass and digital media. Not to mention, Xbox Series S is a more affordable version that only works with digital games. Whether intentional or not, Xbox’s own format favors digital sales, and they have no choice but to discontinue the physical media in regions like Brazil. Soon enough, we may also see the same happening in other places.
Physical Xbox Games.That does not mean Brazilian gamers would no longer be able to purchase physical media. Stores can always import physical games, but that would make them even more expensive. So some of the gamers are still at a loss no matter what.
If someone is wondering whether this is temporary, REVIL already confirmed in their article that the factory replicating the Xbox discs in Brazil is no longer working. This confirms that no Capcom games will arrive on the Xbox platform in disc format until further notice.
As unfortunate as it is, we are not surprised to see this. The next-gen of gaming is expected to be much more in favor of digital media, and soon enough, only the collectors would go out of their way to purchase the discs. Subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus continue improving their platforms, further adhering to the vaster audience.
There is still a glimmer of hope that perhaps Xbox will do something about it and continue the physical media alongside digital for Brazil. If you would like to keep an eye on this subject, Nerdizmo will continue to update the domestic audience, and we will try our best to keep you guys updated as well!
That is all for now. Do you think Xbox will do something to continue physical disc distribution in Brazil? Or will this trend continue to expand to other regions, eventually phasing out the physical media altogether? Share your thoughts with us below, and we will get back to you!
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