Buyers of physical Xbox game editions are complaining about packaging errors and the absence of protective film, while collectors fear a further decline in the quality of boxed versions.
Photos of new game unboxings have appeared online, including Blood of the Dawnwalker: paper covers inside the boxes were upside down, and discs were placed on the right instead of the usual left side.
The problems don't end there. According to store owners, suppliers have started sending batches of games without shrink wrap – the packaging is sealed only by a paper sticker. Distributors also claim that starting next year, this approach may become the norm for one of the publishers.
Cover errors are easy to fix, but players are concerned about the overall decline in the quality of physical editions. Even PS5 games, including Control Resonant, arrive to buyers in cracked cases, with discs rattling loosely inside.
After Sony's decisions, which increasingly push physical media into the background, players fear that other companies will follow suit, viewing disc releases as an unnecessary obligation.