Best Buy, one of the main mass distribution chains in the United States, will stop selling films, series and video games in physical version in 2024. One more step towards the disappearance of physical media. (https://www.leankitchenco.com/)
Far from being as well known in France as Fnac-Darty or Boulanger, Best Buy is one of the main resellers of electronic equipment (TV, audio, cameras, computers and video games) in the United States alongside Target, WalMart or even Amazon.
On this Friday, October 13, 2023, our colleagues from the American site The Digital Bits have just relayed worrying information, at least for lovers of physical media. According to industry sources, Best Buy plans to permanently exit the physical media business as early as 2024perhaps from the end of the first trimester.
Best Buy to stop physical media by 2024
This decision not only includes sales of Blu-Ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD in stores, but also online on its website. Although it has not yet been confirmed, video games in physical format could also be affected by this measure. Casually, this decision could have a considerable impact on the future of the formatgiven the importance of the American chain in the industry.
Who knows, Best Buy could follow suit and motivate its competitors to make similar decisions. As The Digital Bits reminds us, the machine is already in motion in Uncle Sam’s country. This is for example the case of Target stores, which have reduced their sales of physical media in recent years. For its part, the giant Walmart still remains the leader in the United States, with 45% market share in the Blu-Ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD sector.
Also read: The disappearance of DVDs is killing cinema
To say that physical support is on borrowed time is an understatement. In recent years, and particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, physical media have declined in favor of digital versions. Added to this are streaming platforms which limit (or even kill) consumers’ purchasing intentions.
Films, series or video games, the trend is clearly moving in favor of 100% digital. This is evidenced by the latest announcement from Sony, for example, which plans to launch a new version of its PS5 with a removable Blu-Ray player. During the summer of 2023, we also learned that Microsoft was planning to launch a 100% digital Xbox Series X and by extension without a disc drive.
Source : The Digital Bits
