Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick believes physical video games still have a future, although he expects boxed releases to become a small part of the industry as digital distribution continues to dominate.

Speaking with Christopher Dring of The Game Business, Zelnick compared physical video games to vinyl records, suggesting that dedicated collectors will continue supporting physical media even as most consumers move toward digital purchases.

Physical Games Could Become a Collector’s Market

Zelnick explained that he predicted digital distribution would account for more than 90% of the business over a decade ago.

He believes physical games will remain available in some form, much like vinyl records have survived despite the popularity of digital music.

However, he expects boxed releases to represent an increasingly small share of the overall gaming market.

The comments come as digital sales reportedly account for approximately 98% of Take-Two’s business, although that figure should not be interpreted as the percentage of full-game sales sold digitally.

What Does This Mean for GTA 6?

The discussion arrives just days before the November 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.

The absence of a physical disc edition at launch, as reported by Insider Gaming, has raised questions among collectors who prefer owning boxed copies of major releases.

While Zelnick’s comments suggest that physical games will continue serving a dedicated audience, he did not announce a GTA VI physical edition or provide any release plans for one.

Grand Theft Auto VI launches November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.