Discs Aren’t Dead Yet: Next-Gen Consoles Could Bring Physical Media Back

With Sony and Microsoft shaping the next generation of consoles (PS6 and Project Helix), disc drives are likely to remain thanks to backward compatibility and higher fidelity 4K Blu-ray playback. Despite streaming's dominance, 4K Blu-ray sales rose in 2025, stand-alone players dwindled, and consoles remain the easiest way to access physical media and older games, suggesting discs will endure in the next generation.