The future of physical games continues to look increasingly uncertain. Now, Take-Two Interactive has defended its digital-first approach to Grand Theft Auto 6, arguing that physical discs no longer make much sense for either publishers or consumers.
The comments arrive during an already heated debate about physical game ownership. PlayStation has faced growing criticism over its own shift toward digital distribution, while players continue to raise concerns about preservation, ownership, licensing, and long-term access to purchased games.
For collectors hoping GTA 6 would stand firmly on the physical side of that debate, Take-Two’s position will probably offer little comfort.
Take-Two Says Around 90% of Its Sales Are Digital
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick explained the company’s position during an interview with IGN. According to Zelnick, approximately 90% of Take-Two’s sales are now digitally distributed.
That number plays a major role in the publisher’s strategy.
Producing millions of discs requires manufacturing, packaging, shipping, storage, and retail distribution. Digital copies remove many of those steps. Therefore, from Take-Two’s perspective, continuing to invest heavily in physical production becomes increasingly difficult to justify when most customers already purchase games digitally.
However, Zelnick did not limit his argument to the business side.
He also suggested that discs no longer make much sense for consumers.
Take-Two Believes Digital Games Are More Convenient
Zelnick argued that modern physical games often rely on online services anyway. Registration, updates, patches, additional downloads, and account systems have become normal parts of modern gaming.
Because of this, Take-Two believes digital distribution offers essentially the same experience while being more convenient.
Players can purchase a game, download it, and launch it without swapping discs or visiting a retailer. For publishers, meanwhile, digital distribution eliminates many of the costs associated with physical manufacturing.
Still, convenience is only one side of the discussion.
Physical Game Owners Have Very Different Concerns
For many players, the argument has never simply been about convenience.
Physical games can provide something digital licenses often cannot: a tangible copy that players can keep, display, lend, trade, sell, or potentially use years after digital storefronts and online services have changed.
That difference becomes especially important when discussing game preservation.
A digital purchase usually gives players a license to access software through a particular platform or account. As a result, access can depend on servers, storefront infrastructure, licensing agreements, and account availability.
A functional physical copy can offer another layer of protection.
However, even physical releases have become increasingly complicated. Some boxed games require substantial downloads before they work properly. Others contain only part of the game on the disc. Worse still, some retail boxes contain nothing more than a download code.
For collectors, that defeats much of the purpose of buying a physical edition.
GTA 6 Could Represent a Major Turning Point
The situation becomes particularly significant because GTA 6 is not an ordinary release.
Rockstar’s next Grand Theft Auto is expected to become one of the largest entertainment launches in gaming history. A game of that scale could easily move millions of physical copies if Take-Two and Rockstar decided to produce them.
Yet Zelnick suggested that discs simply “won’t make sense” for enormous modern releases such as GTA 6.
That statement could signal how Take-Two views physical releases going forward.
Rather than treating physical and digital copies as equal distribution methods, discs could eventually become special products aimed primarily at collectors.
Physical Games Could Become Gaming’s Version of Vinyl
Zelnick even compared physical games with vinyl records.
Vinyl survived the transition toward digital music and streaming, but it became a specialist market. Collectors still value physical albums, artwork, packaging, and the experience of owning something tangible.
Take-Two appears to believe gaming could follow a similar path.
Physical editions might continue to exist, but they could become premium collector products rather than the standard way people purchase games.
Rockstar and other Take-Two developers could still decide to release genuine physical editions occasionally. However, Zelnick made it clear that the company sees digital distribution as the mainstream future.
A Box With a Download Code Is Not Really Physical
One particularly frustrating trend is the rise of retail boxes containing download codes instead of discs.
These products technically give retailers something physical to put on shelves. However, they provide almost none of the traditional benefits associated with physical ownership.
Once the code has been redeemed, the box effectively becomes packaging for a digital license.
For players worried about preservation, resale rights, lending games, or maintaining a permanent collection, that solution does little to address their concerns.
If publishers want physical games to survive as a collector-focused market, genuine discs will remain important.
The Industry Is Moving Toward Digital Faster Than Ever
Take-Two is far from the only major company moving in this direction.
Digital sales have steadily become dominant across modern gaming, while publishers increasingly encourage players to purchase games directly through console and PC storefronts.
At the same time, the industry continues experimenting with digital-only hardware and distribution models.
That transition creates an obvious commercial advantage for publishers. However, it also transfers more control away from consumers.
A physical game can sit on a shelf for decades. A digital game depends much more heavily on the ecosystem surrounding it.
That distinction matters.
GTA 6 Physical Edition Is Not Completely Ruled Out
Importantly, Take-Two has not completely closed the door on physical games.
Zelnick acknowledged that Rockstar and other developers could still choose to produce physical editions when appropriate. Therefore, collectors should not automatically assume GTA 6 will never receive a genuine disc release.
However, Take-Two’s overall position is clear.
Physical releases are becoming exceptions rather than expectations.
For a game as enormous as GTA 6, that approach will inevitably attract criticism. Grand Theft Auto has existed across multiple generations of physical media, and millions of players own boxed copies of previous games.
Removing that option would represent a major change.
Convenience Should Not Completely Replace Ownership
There is no denying that digital games are convenient.
Downloads are quick to purchase, preloading makes major launches easier, and players no longer need to swap discs whenever they change games.
However, convenience and ownership are not the same thing.
Players who prefer digital games should absolutely have that option. At the same time, collectors and preservation-minded consumers have legitimate reasons for wanting physical copies to remain available.
The concern is not that digital distribution exists. The concern is that players could eventually lose the choice entirely.
With Take-Two saying roughly 90% of its sales already come through digital distribution, the direction of travel seems obvious. GTA 6 could become one of the biggest examples yet of how quickly that transition is happening.
Whether physical games ultimately become gaming’s equivalent of vinyl remains to be seen. However, if the world’s biggest releases begin abandoning discs, the traditional boxed game could move from mainstream product to collector’s item much sooner than many players expected.
