Next Console Generation Could End Physical Media’s Comeback

We all know the next generation of consoles is on the horizon. It has been six years since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launched, a cycle extended by component shortages and cost spikes driven by AI demands across the tech sector. Still, Sony has already hinted at a “future console” arriving within the next few years, and Microsoft has confirmed the next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, is likely due in 2028.

Gamers can probably expect all the usual upgrades: faster processors, more powerful GPUs, and larger storage capacities, assuming component supplies and manufacturing capacity allow. But there is one feature both Sony and Microsoft absolutely must preserve, no matter what the next generation looks like: the humble 4K Blu-ray disc drive.

Keep It Old School

This might seem like an odd argument to make. After all, both companies have been retreating from discs since day one of the current generation. The Xbox Series S and the PS5 Digital Edition both lack a disc drive, and Sony even removed the feature from the more powerful PS5 Pro,though both that model and the Digital Edition can be upgraded with a separately sold disc drive peripheral.

Already, many “on disc” releases contain only an installation pack or a bearer token for a digital version of the game, much like the Nintendo Switch 2’s Game Key cards. File sizes now frequently exceed the 100 GB of data that can fit on a triple-layer 4K Blu-ray. For collectors and fans of physical media, the direction of travel looks depressing.

However, there are plenty of reasons both manufacturers should cling to a disc drive. The most obvious is backward compatibility with older games, a hugely attractive feature for console owners. Both businesses recognize this, and both support older disc games alongside digital versions. Xbox takes a more tailored approach, giving players access to select games from every console generation back to the 2001 original. Recently, Jason Ronald, vice president of Next Generation at Xbox, said Microsoft is “committed to keeping games from four generations of Xbox playable for years to come” with Project Helix. That is good news, even if he stopped short of confirming support for disc-based games on the machine.

Meanwhile, the PS5 supports all but a tiny handful of PS4 games. Earlier PlayStation games are locked out. The PS3’s infamously unorthodox “Cell” processor remains an obstacle to supporting its games on newer hardware, and PS2 and PS1 discs have not been playable on any console later than the original “fat” PS3 model. If the PS6 kept a disc drive and cracked that problem,even by simply having enough raw power to brute force the processing for those tricky PS3-era games,there is a legion of PlayStation fans who would be extremely excited.

The biggest argument in favor of keeping the 4K disc drive is not about games at all. Instead, it is that for many owners, a PS5 or Xbox Series X is the best, most accessible option for owning a disc player of any kind nowadays. And contrary to perceived wisdom, physical media is currently enjoying something of a resurgence.

Retro Revival

It is easy to assume all physical media is dead, and there is no denying the entire sector is struggling. By some metrics, it really does appear to be game over. For film and TV, streaming services still have the lion’s share of eyeballs. Video games are overwhelmingly distributed digitally. And the majority of music is consumed digitally, despite the huge resurgence of vinyl record sales.

Yet even as digital media dominates every piece of entertainment we consume, sales of 4K UHD Blu-rays specifically are actually growing. According to research from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), as noted by FlatPanelsHD, sales of the disc format rose in the US in 2025, climbing 12 percent over 2024’s sales figures and marking the first uptick in years.