Physical media is excellent, and I’m glad there are so many ways for both casuals and enthusiasts alike to dip their toes into the format. While it’s becoming more difficult to find movies in person, if you go online and shop, there are so many different stores to pick from. If you’ve bought something recently, there’s a good chance that you’ve come across a steelbook or two. I like steelbooks as much as the next person, but it feels like companies have gotten lazier and lazier with them.

Just about every “limited edition” release is a steelbook, and I’m just annoyed by it. A lot of times, they feel like they’re artificially limited. That’s fine in some scenarios, but when it’s the only release available for a long time, like Lawrence of Arabia in 4K, then it’s very annoying. I don’t want to sit around and wait for a restock just to watch something I’ve been waiting for. Lawrence of Arabia finally got a regular 4K release earlier in 2026, but I don’t see why the wait had to be that long.

Not only that, but I feel like companies have gotten lazier with their special editions. Many of them come out with a cool-looking steelbook and call it a day. Nowadays, it feels like I have to rely on companies like Arrow and Criterion to give me fascinating special editions that used to be standard with big studio releases.

Steelbooks have pushed me to my breaking point

What happened to the creativity?

Back when physical was still prominent in stores, you used to have your pick of special editions. The Rogue One special edition pictured above was from Target about 10 years ago, and it came with cool foldable packaging and character portraits that I can swap on the cover depending on how I feel. Nowadays, it feels like the only player left in town is Amazon, and the exclusive editions I find there are usually just steelbooks.

I liked the days when I had options, and it feels like that has largely gone away. The closest thing I have to that now is when I was picking up a 4K copy of Evil Dead Rise and had to choose between the Arrow release and the traditional 4K release. The big studios don’t really come out with special editions like this Rogue One version anymore, and it’s something I miss dearly. Yes, I mostly buy movies to watch them, but I also like to have collector’s items. When all the collector’s versions are steelbooks, it doesn’t feel as unique. This Rogue One special edition sticks out quite a bit on my shelf because I don’t have anything else like it.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I still like steelbooks. Some of them have some really nice art, and I was one of the fortunate few to get a copy of Lawrence of Arabia before having to wait for a reprint. I even picked up the much-maligned Morbius because I liked the art. The problem is that many of these just sit on my shelf and blend in with the rest of my collection. Rogue One has a nice, thick spine that makes it feel like a true special edition in a way the steelbooks don’t. On top of that, steelbooks also have a laundry list of problems that I wish I could avoid.

There are other downsides to steelbooks

It feels like gambling

With most of my 4K purchases coming online ever since Best Buy got out of the physical media game, it’s been hard for me to know if I’m going to get my steelbook in one piece. I can’t go into an actual store and pick one up off the shelf anymore, so now I’m at the whim of Amazon or Gruv sending me one in good condition. I’ll admit that it’s been hit or miss, and I’ve had my fair share of issues with Amazon, including a steelbook that was broken clean in half. Fortunately, Amazon has solid customer service that lets me get my money back, but I’d rather avoid this problem entirely if I could.

To be fair, regular Blu-ray cases can easily get damaged in the mail, so it’s not something that’s exclusive to steelbooks. However, I’m a lot more willing to put up with a damaged Blu-ray case than I am with a steelbook since the Blu-ray doesn’t cost a premium price. A lot of my complaints would hold less water if there were alternatives to steelbooks that didn’t come from boutique brands. I miss the days of retailers offering their own spin on things, but it doesn’t seem like those are going to come back.

What’s funny is that vinyl, a format that was thought to be dead not too long ago, now receives special retailer-specific variants for some releases. Both Walmart and Target get in on this, so I really feel like I’m on the outside looking in. If you’re happy with steelbooks, I’m happy for you. I like them too, but I wish there was more variation instead of being forced to fill up my shelves with rows of steelbooks if I want a special edition of a movie. As I said before, I’m on the physical media game to watch my movies, but I’d still like them to stand out amongst the regular sea of Blu-rays now and then. Steelbooks blend in too much for them to really do that.