Physical games do seem to be disappearing, with Walmart currently looking to get rid of all copies of Starfield.
Last year, Best Buy announced it would no longer sell physical media in-store and online, meaning one less store where you can buy games. Now, it seems Walmart may follow suit, at least when it comes to video games. Earlier this week, screenshots surfaced online showing a notice instructing Walmart employees to throw out any copies of “Starfield” in the store, but it wasn’t clear why. Later, on Resetera, a user named Rychu shared that they worked at Walmart. The relevant screenshots were from the Me@Walmart app, which is an app specially provided for Walmart employees, allowing them to check in and check product prices. , where to find certain items and other features.
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Rychu later confirmed that notices of copies of Starfield being sold for $0.03 were in fact real, although it appears you won’t actually be able to purchase them at that price, as purchases will be blocked. While Walmart is clearly just trying to get rid of its Starfield stock (after all, many gamers likely play the game on PC via Game Pass or digital downloads), Buy Rychu also notes that Walmart executives have been discussing eliminating physical game sales for some time.
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“Walmart Inc. has been talking about eliminating physical gaming for at least the past year,” Rychu shared. “This specific notice of claim relates to Starfield, but that doesn’t mean it won’t eventually expand to other things. It’s just the beginning.” That’s not surprising given the growth in digital sales in recent years. In addition, major games such as “Alan Killer 2” have also launched digital versions, and “Hellblade 2” will do the same.
Of course, all of these are just rumors, so take them with a grain of salt, but be prepared that your gaming shelf won’t be growing for years to come.
