France Still Chooses Physical PS5 Games: Digital Sales Aren’t Winning

Digital sales still dominate the global video game market, but physical copies are far from disappearing—especially in France. Recent figures show that while large publishers earn most revenue through online distribution, several major PlayStation 5 releases sell close to a 50/50 split between store shelves and the PS Store depending on the country. For the French market in particular, physical remains the default choice for many current titles.

Quick facts

• Capcom reported that 93% of its sales come from digital, with 7% coming from physical.
• Within Capcom’s digital sales, 60% are PC and 33% are consoles.
• On PS5, some major releases can be near a 50/50 split between physical and the PS Store in certain territories.
• France is consistently the top market in these examples for buying games in stores.
• In France, Astro Bot is 68% physical; Assassin’s Creed Shadows is 58% physical; Resident Evil Requiem is 55% physical.
• Black Myth: Wukong and Helldivers 2 skew heavily toward the PS Store regardless of territory.

Digital leads revenue—by a lot, but not everywhere

The “digital wins” argument is backed by publisher-level numbers. Capcom’s latest published data puts digital at 93% of its sales, leaving physical at 7%. That gap is why large publishers’ revenue discussions often make it seem like boxed games have been fully outpaced.

However, the picture gets more nuanced once you break down where digital actually lands. For Capcom, 60% of digital sales are tied to PC, while 33% are on consoles. Digital also includes sales of older titles in the back catalogue, which can further distort comparisons when the focus is on brand-new releases.

Physical still moves consoles—PS5 sales show a split

Even with digital dominating overall revenue, physical formats continue to matter for major console brands. The key question is whether physical is truly losing ground for new releases—or whether its strength depends on both the game and the region.

PlayStation 5 examples suggest the latter. Using market data compiled by Ampere Analysis, some big releases remain strong in retail in multiple territories, with certain titles approaching parity between physical sales and PS Store purchases.

France remains the strongest physical market

The strongest signal comes from France. Across the cited PS5 examples, French players buy the most games in boxed form compared with other territories. Astro Bot is the clearest case: 68% of its sales in France come from physical copies rather than the PS Store.

The same pattern holds for other recent releases. Assassin’s Creed Shadows lands at 58% physical in France, while Resident Evil Requiem is 55% physical. The figures highlight that, even when digital is the global norm, France can tilt a title’s sales mix decisively toward retail.

Not every game follows this behavior, though. Black Myth: Wukong and Helldivers 2 are described as being bought mainly through the PS Store across territories, indicating that genre, audience, or market fit can outweigh regional format preferences.

What it means for publishers facing a future digital push

The broader takeaway is that the “100% digital” direction isn’t uniform in its impact. France, along with Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan, is highlighted as staying attached to physical formats. That means publishers including Capcom and Ubisoft may need to manage carefully as Sony’s timeline for a fully digital push—targeting 2028—is expected to tighten the market’s physical availability.

Online reactions in the discussion also reflected the same pride in retail buying habits, with at least one comment praising French players with “Vive la France” and calling out “immense respect” for how they support physical releases.