Sorry physical fans! New Like a Dragon can only be digital on PS5, PS4

Like Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name looks pretty cool – after all, how can you not fall in love with the seemingly superhero Kazuma Kiryu, who is seen using an ethereal tether to deal with thugs in the latest gameplay trailer. One problem: this it can Be a digital-only release, with no plans for a physical version.

While we’re still awaiting confirmation from SEGA – we’ve reached out to the publisher for comment, and will update as and when we get word back – Fan Channel Kamarocho Bros noted that it has “spoken with retailers who have reached out to SEGA” and concluded that there is “no physical ESRB version” of the game. Obviously, this only applies to the US at the moment – Europe may have different plans.

Of course, none of this rules out the possibility of a physical version launching later down the line. SEGA has about three months to change its mind, or it can partner with a company like Limited Run to bring boxed copies into the wild. Of course, this is starting to become a trend – the upcoming Alan Wake 2 won’t even have a physical release as things stand.

Obviously, there are still many people who prefer to buy boxed copies of games, but that doesn’t change the fact that digital sales are slowly starting to overtake retail sales. Physical still has advantages, of course: games can be displayed on shelves and retain resale value – but perhaps, in this case, SEGA doesn’t believe a retail release is worth the effort. The market for is quite large.