Update: Best Buy has since confirmed that physical movies and TV shows will be affected, but fortunately video games won't be! The company will continue to sell games, as revealed in a statement to Variety earlier today.
Original story: With the advent of digital-only home consoles like the Xbox Series S, the move to game downloads is becoming more pronounced, and that digital-focused future looks like it's here to stay. A new report from film & TV outlet The Digital Bits is claiming that US retail giant Best Buy is planning to stop selling all physical media next year.
According to the report, multiple sources have claimed that the retailer has "plans to exit the physical media business for good", potentially as soon as the end of Q1 2024. The site doesn't mention games specifically, but given this appears to include all physical media, it's assumed that games would be included.
The report also mentions that if this move comes to pass, it'll include both online and instore sales, which is perhaps a bit of a surprise given Best Buy has a pretty big online presence when it comes to physical media. We frequently see gamers taking advantage of the company's 'Buy 2 Get 1 Free' offer when some desirable new releases come around.
Anyway, it's worth taking this with a big ol' pinch of salt for now - it's just a report and the retailer has not confirmed any such plans yet. In the gaming world it's starting to make sense though, with the popularity of Xbox Series S, and Sony announcing yet another digital PS5 console just this week.