The video game disc is dead

July 2, 2026 - 22:18

For years, the physical video game disc has been a staple of the gaming experience. You bought a box, slid out the disc, popped it into your console, and played. But that era is quietly ending. On the latest episode of The Vergecast, the hosts made a bold declaration: the video game disc is dead. The conversation explored how digital downloads have taken over, with major publishers like Microsoft and Sony pushing hard for all-digital consoles. The Xbox Series S, for instance, launched without a disc drive, and Sony now sells a digital-only version of the PlayStation 5. Even Nintendo, long a holdout for physical cartridges, is seeing a shift as more players buy games directly from the eShop.

The shift is not just about convenience. It is about control. When you buy a disc, you own a physical copy that you can sell, trade, or lend. With digital games, you only own a license. If a store shuts down or your account gets banned, your library can vanish. The Vergecast panel also touched on how this change affects collectors and preservationists. Without discs, future generations may struggle to access classic titles.

But the episode did not stop at gaming. It also covered rumors about the iPhone 18, which is still years away but already sparking speculation about radical design changes. And then there was the segment on OpenAI gadgets, where the hosts debated whether AI hardware will ever be more than a novelty. The Vergecast made it clear: the disc is gone, but the conversation about what comes next is just beginning.