Digital downloads now account for 7 out of 10 video game purchases in Germany, a brand new report has discovered.
In line with a report by the German Games Industry Association (game), primarily based on information collected by YouGov and printed on July 29, the share of digital downloads in Germany elevated by 8% in 2024, from 60% to 68% – setting a brand new file – with 32% of video games bought as bodily media.
The report additionally discovered that round 99% of PC video games in Germany had been purchased digitally in 2024, with the variety of digital console purchases rising from 40% in 2023 to 44% in 2024.
Nevertheless, most console purchases stay bodily, with bodily media making up 56% of the German market’s purchases.
(*7*)Picture credit score: The German Video games Trade Affiliation(*10*)
Game’s report famous that this progress in digital obtain purchases is partly resulting from an increase in digital-exclusive titles.
The organisation highlights Baldur’s Gate and Enshrouded as examples of standard video games that had been launched in early entry (and so had been solely obtainable digitally) or had an preliminary interval of digital-only distribution.
“Shopping for video games as downloads is extra standard than ever,” mentioned Felix Falk, managing director of game.
“In comparison with the traditional bodily media obtainable by way of retailers, downloads are an easy approach for individuals to purchase video games. The development in the direction of completely digital gross sales – whether or not of indie, blockbuster or, extra just lately, early entry video games – is additional driving the prevalence of downloads. On the similar time, console gamers, particularly, are nonetheless choosing video games on bodily media. These stay extremely standard as additions to the game collections on the gamers’ cabinets, for instance, or as particular restricted editions.”
Falk went on to clarify in the report that age is an element in whether or not a participant buys a game bodily or digitally.
Game’s report discovered that 20 to 29-year-olds purchase 77% of their PC and console video games as digital downloads. In distinction, bodily media is extra standard amongst gamers aged 50 to 50-year-olds, who made up 47% of German PC and console bodily purchases in 2024 – a 6% rise from the earlier 12 months.
The German video games business has seen a decline in progress, with the variety of video games corporations falling by 4% in 2025 following “years of progress” and the overall gross sales income from video games, gaming {hardware}, and on-line gaming companies in Germany dropping 6% from 2023 to 2024.
In line with game’s report, 2024’s dip noticed a 17% drop in the purchases of video games for cell, PC, and console, and a 10% drop in {hardware} purchases. Nevertheless, income from on-line gaming companies rose 12% since 2023.