Why Stranger Things is not out on DVD: what exists, what does not, and why
Guide · DVD · Collection
Why does Stranger Things not come out on DVD? A show seen by hundreds of millions of people, and almost impossible to find on disc: that is one of the paradoxes of the platform that produced it. A few editions exist, American, old, and nothing for the last three seasons. Here is what exists, why the rest does not, and what is left to collect.
The essentials
- What exists: seasons 1 to 3, on DVD and Blu-ray, in the United States, in limited editions
- What does not exist: seasons 4 and 5, and any French edition
- Why: the platform keeps its shows exclusive to its service
- For collectors: used American editions, soundtracks on vinyl
Contents
What exists
Only the first three seasons were released on disc, in the United States, in box sets sold by a single store chain: the first in 2017 and the second in 2018, in a case imitating an 80s VHS tape with a poster, then the third in 2019, in a more discreet edition. These editions, on DVD and Blu-ray, are region-coded, subtitled in English and Spanish only, and sold out for a long time; they resell expensive.
Nothing followed for seasons 4 and 5, and no edition was ever sold in France.
The poster, what exists offscreen.
In the shopMen's 3/4-sleeve baseball Stranger Kittens T-shirt44,90 €See the product
Why there is no DVD
Because the platform has no interest in making them: its series are its reason for existing, and selling them on disc is allowing people to watch them without a subscription. The 2017 to 2019 box sets were an experiment, born of the retro-object trend around the show; it was not extended. The rare series from the platform issued on disc are issued by partners, for specific markets, and never systematically.
| Season | DVD or Blu-ray | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes, collector's edition | United States, 2017 | Sold out, resold secondhand |
| 2 | Yes, collector's edition | United States, 2018 | Sold out, resold secondhand |
| 3 | Yes, limited edition | United States, 2019 | Exhausted |
| 4 | No | ||
| 5 | No | No announcement | |
| Complete run | No | No announcement |
And now that the show is over?
The end of a show is the usual moment for complete sets. Nothing has been announced, and nothing points to one: the platform made the finale a theater event, not an object. Fans hope for a complete box set, as with a few great series in television history; to this day, it is only a hope. If a complete set ever existed, it would likely go through the same kind of limited edition, in the United States first.
The “import” edition trapSites sell “complete” DVD box sets of the show, often made in Asia, unlicensed, with approximate subtitles and a poor picture. They are counterfeits. The only editions that exist are those of the first three seasons, in the United States.
What is left to collect
The soundtracks, on vinyl, for each season, including the last, with careful sleeves and colored editions. The books: the behind-the-scenes volume, the novels about Hopper and about Max, the published Season 1 scripts. The posters, the figures, the board games. And the American box sets from 2017 to 2019, for those who find them: they are the only objects where the show exists offscreen.
How to see it without a subscription
You cannot, legally: the show is neither on video on demand for purchase, nor on disc, nor on television. That is the price of exclusivity, and the reason so many fans look for a DVD that does not exist.
The Eleven figure, for the collection.
In the shopLego articulated Demogorgon figure 350 pieces30,90 €See the product
The existing editions, in detail
| Season | Edition | Release | Quirk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DVD and Blu-ray, VHS-style box set | 2017, in the United States | Case imitating a period videotape, sold exclusively by a retailer |
| 2 | DVD and Blu-ray, VHS-style box set | November 6, 2018, in the United States | The same idea, a sleeve inspired by the cassettes of an 80s publisher |
| 3 | DVD and Blu-ray, VHS-style box set | 2019, in the United States | Last physical edition to date |
| 4 | None | — | Two volumes, thirteen hours: never released |
| 5 | None | — | Despite a theatrical screening of the last chapter |
None of these editions was distributed in France or in the European zone. The American box sets are region 1 for the DVDs, and the Blu-rays, in principle region-free, have neither French dubbing nor French subtitles.
Why the VHS format, and why it stopped
The three existing box sets were designed as collector objects rather than as viewing media: a VHS case, a sleeve worn on purpose, reinvented 80s publisher logos. The show was celebrating there the format it cites every season, Steve and Robin's video store first. They were sold exclusively by a single American chain, in limited quantities, and resell today well above their price.
After 2019, the platform stopped physical editions, for the show as for almost its whole catalog, in favor of watching online. Seasons 4 and 5, the longest and the most expensive, are also the ones you cannot put on a shelf.
What the ending of the show can change
A finished show is a natural candidate for a complete set. The theatrical screening of the last chapter, on December 31, 2025, showed that the platform accepted taking the show off its screen for an event; a box set of the 42 episodes would be the logical next step, and the demand exists, as the prices of the 2017-2019 box sets show. But nothing has been announced, and the only recent physical objects are the original score records, released on vinyl, CD and even cassette.
Meanwhile, the “complete series” box sets sold on online marketplaces are counterfeits, burned from files: no menus, no subtitles, poor image quality, and no rights. The only legal way to see the show remains the platform.
The logo T-shirt.
In the shopEleven portrait poster19,90 €See the product
TakeawaySeasons 1 to 3 in limited American editions, sold out. Nothing for seasons 4 and 5, nothing in France. The platform keeps exclusivity. The “complete sets” online are counterfeits.
Frequently asked questions
Does Stranger Things exist on DVD?
Only the first three seasons, in limited American editions from 2017 to 2019, sold out. Nothing for seasons 4 and 5, and nothing in France.
Why is the show not issued on disc?
Because the platform keeps its series exclusive to its service; the box sets were an experiment that was not extended.
Is a complete set planned after the end?
No announcement. Fans hope for it; nothing indicates it to date.
Are the “complete series” box sets sold online real?
No: they are counterfeits. The only existing editions are those of the first three seasons, in the United States.
Do the American box sets work in France?
The DVDs are region 1, so incompatible with most European players; the Blu-rays, region-free, work but have neither French dubbing nor French subtitles.
Does the soundtrack exist on a physical format?
Yes: each season had its album on CD and on vinyl, and season 3 even came out on cassette. It is the show's only recent physical format.
How much are the VHS box sets worth today?
Well above their original price: sold in limited quantities by a single American retailer between 2017 and 2019, they resell among collectors, often several times their price.
Is there a physical edition of season 4 somewhere in the world?
No, in no country: seasons 4 and 5 have never been issued on disc, the platform having stopped physical releases after 2019.
Did the last chapter shown in theaters come out on disc?
No. Its screening in 620 North American theaters, on December 31, 2025, remained an event; no physical edition followed.