Analog nostalgia fuels surge in physical media as streaming faces criticism

In a mall near Sudbury, Mike Strickland runs Strickly Nostalgia, a retailer that sells vinyl records, cassette tapes, DVDs and retro gaming consoles to a clientele craving physical media. Strickland says younger consumers appreciate the permanence of owning a disc or record, especially as streaming platforms can be altered or discontinued. Film studies professor Louis-Paul Willis attributes the analog resurgence to Gen Z's desire for stability amid broader economic uncertainty.

The market has expanded after Sony announced it would no longer publish PlayStation 5 titles on disc, causing prices for existing physical games to soar. Gamers have voiced strong opposition to the move on social media, with some pledging to boycott Sony products. The shift mirrors earlier industry resistance to peer-to-peer sharing in the early 2000s, and highlights concerns that subscription models limit sharing and choice.