GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Insists Sony Killing Physical Discs ‘Doesn’t Matter at All’ Because Video Game Sales Make Up So Little of His Business
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen has dismissed concerns about Sony’s upcoming discontinuation of physical PlayStation game discs, stating that physical game sales are “totally irrelevant” to the retailer’s business.
In a July 16 Bloomberg Television interview, Cohen responded to questions about how GameStop would be affected by Sony’s decision to stop printing physical games for new PlayStation titles starting January 2028. Rather than expressing concern, Cohen emphasized that GameStop’s revenue stream has shifted dramatically away from game software sales.
According to Cohen, the company now primarily generates income from collectibles, merchandise, and trading cards—not games themselves. He stated that while physical games “mattered in the past,” they no longer represent a significant portion of the company’s revenue. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter at all,” Cohen told Bloomberg when asked about the impact of Sony eliminating physical discs.
The comments highlight GameStop’s strategic pivot over recent years as physical game sales have declined. The company has increasingly focused on expanding its collectibles and merchandise offerings to adapt to changing consumer habits. Sony’s phasing out of physical discs for new PlayStation releases represents a significant milestone in the gaming industry’s broader shift toward digital distribution, following PC gaming’s earlier transition to digital-only formats.