Buying a game is easy and it's getting easier - but the age old question remains - digital or physical?

When it comes to purchasing a game, given the choice, should you opt to buy a physical copy of a game or purchase it digitally for an instant download? What are the pros and cons of each? Does it make a difference?

While digital games are no doubt the more convenient option, that "purchase" comes with an enormous amount of fragility attached to it. What if the publisher revokes the game from the storefront? What if the game is has DRM that can affect performance? Is the purchase even a true purchase or is it a lease of a service? Let's not forget that all too often we're seeing games removed from digital store fronts due to licensing arrangements. We've even seen games being changed at a moments notice with soundtracks being edited, or replaced entirely, as rights expire. And what of service games - they can be shutdown remotely if the game underperforms rendering the game unplayable.

Then you have physical media. While unlike days past, even physical media can carry some questions when its merits. Day one patches that prevent you from playing the game without updating the title; disc-based consoles cost more; mandatory internet connections or account registration can be a thing; and what of the environmental impact? And let's not forget that inevitable disc rot!

Publishers are even thinking up ways to make physical ownership less attractive - you only need to look at the plans by Microsoft during the initial Xbox One reveal where physical disks, once used on a console were then digitally tied to that system and unable to be traded or resold without going through hoops and paying a premium to do so.

At the end of the day - does it even matter? Should video game ownership and preservation be a concern for the average player or should the purchase be seen as the equivalent of a theme park ticket - a temporary thrill with no regard for the future?

And what of piracy? Is there a merit and legitimacy to breaking DRM and illegally copying games when it comes to video game preservation?

Let us know your thoughts below.

 

[Hells Malice]

I *prefer* physical but i'm not fussed by digital. 90% of games don't even come on the disks anymore, they're just keys to unlock a digital download. Unless that changed in the current gen, honestly haven't bought a physical game to use for a while.

For Nintendo specifically it's far more beneficial to me to play a game at 9pm the day before release vs waiting for a store to open at 8-10am, going out, grabbing it and coming back to pop it in and have it download the game to my system.

 

[Gunstorm]

Physical but due high prices in Brazil im buying digital

 

[Foxi4]

If I care about a given game, I will go out of my way to get a physical copy of it for posterity. When it comes to buying games outright I prefer physical copies anyway, with one exception - if I intend to share them online with other players, in which case a digital copy is more convenient. That being said, with the prevalence of Gamepass and now also the revamped PS+, I find myself relying on those “Netflix for games” kinds of services more and more rather than buying games outright, and they do influence my purchasing decisions. If a game is available on them, I will absolutely opt for that version (can’t beat the investment of 0, I already have a subscription) and will only pursue a physical copy if they get off the roster, or if I find them at an exceptionally low price. There are games on my shelf right now, still in foil, that I haven’t touched because they’re on one of those services.

 

[Glyptofane]

Physical copies of even the worst, most common games will retain some value with many others that can be sold for $100 or more which is becoming quite common and happening quickly these days after they go OOP.

 

[SkyDX]

Physical copies whenever I can unless there's a good reason not to.

 

[MoonJam96]

While physical games are easier to lose, I personally think that if I'm going to pay 60$ for a game I should at least have something that I can have on my shelf. You know what I mean??

 

[Nostalgia]

I love both but with reasons.

but for Nintendo stuff is mainly Physical. for Sony its bit of both. for Microsoft its Digital.

I never buy digital from Sony and Nintendo, on Xbox everything is digital which is my main platform.

I'm a big believer in if someone shows you who they are, believe them, and Sony and Nintendo have closed/threatened to close multiple digital stores.

 

[Maximumbeans]

It's tricky, I'm somewhere in between. I certainly prefer physical for DS and 3DS games. I like having the cartridge that I can protect and it feels kind of exclusive, I just like the physical collecting of the carts themselves. That having been said, digital is so convenient for emulating old titles. I'd rather have ROMs than scrape eBay for old working discs and carts any day of the week.

I think it's just the DS line collecting that I'm picky about physical collection. Everything else, I don't mind digital. Though I do hate the idea that you barely own media anymore if you go digital.

I was actually thinking about this not too long ago, clearing out some stuff that's been sat in our attic for far too long. I opened about 2-3 boxes worth of old PC games and albums that I've had since I was about 14, and it got me feeling quite sentimental. I turned to my wife and was like, 'I don't own music anymore.' Everything I listen to comes from Spotify or sometimes YouTube. It's kind of sad.

 

[GlueSniffinEd]

I strongly prefer physical media, provided it actually has the game on it and it's not just dummy media with a license key authorizing the download.

I've seen it happen far too many times where the digital store closes, or where the vendor has made their profit and doesn't care to renew the licensed music, character, franchise, etc. As a result, the game you bought gets removed from the digital store and you can no longer download your licensed (rented, essentially) game. With physical media, I can pop it in and play for years to come.

 

[Oldyz]

Digital is the way to go to stop the ecological madness of mining resources endlessly for trinkets that have planned obsolescence.

don't get me wrong, i appreciate consoles & controllers like the wiimote - but those things will break down eventually and the only way to play & preserve those games is emulation & recreations or VR adaptations/enhancements of the inputs & interfaces

de-compiling, emulation & digital also provide opportunities for enhancements, like Stereoscopy, re-texturing, higher FPS, expansions (more tracks , more levels)

i appreciate the physical media, but eventually some of us will a have to let it go sooner or later, for one reason or another, and its only use is for massive backups and copies for preservation and evading censorship by either corporations & or govermnments

Post automatically merged: Oct 12, 2022

addendum:
a wise combination of opensource, digital and physical storage and preservation should be able to lessen the impact of:

Orwellian & or fahrenheit 451 situations - solar storms, disasters, wars.

if we ever get to star trek type utopia , i would like future people to get int a hollodeck & either play a simulation of an old console , or an enhanced version of an old game

 

[Noblige]

Definitely prefer physical releases. Although given how terrible the industry has gotten in the past decade, even a physical copy can't save you from a bunch of mandatory downloads.

 

[Trojaner]

Prefer Digital because it's just easy to archive and not so much space needed for it. But since there will never be a garantie that ya'll have always access to your Digital titles after many years, the good old Physical is and will be always the best way to go.

 

[HellGhast]

Physical Blu-Rays for my PlayStation please.

 

[Anis360]

Each type has its pros and cons, I like physical for the lack of DRM and the beauty of the games' packagings and manuals, and I like digital, especially on GOG, for allowing me to legally enjoy old, rare and expensive games at an attracting price.

 

[susbaconhairman]

If there is a physical copy of a game available, I will always get that. If it's an online exclusive (and it's a decent game) then I'd get it online

 

[MasterJ360]

After what Nintendo and Sony have demonstrated with old digital games among their servers
the answer is a no-brainer.
Digital games are becoming more of a risk to buy, you only own that said game aslong that account is accessible.

 

[City]

Perfect world:

- Small games are digital-only because of how cheap they are. They cost a lot less than the rest
- Normal/big games are sold in physical media as well, with a steel box case, instructions’ manual, art book, a digital code for the OST as well as a discount code for the physical version
- Games get released without game-breaking bugs
- Big updates are called “expansions” and you have the option to buy them physically even if they’re free digitally
- Scalpers get their balls cut and/or their ovaries hung


Until then, digital gaming is the only way.

 

[Localhorst86]

It depends on the platform for me.

PC games can be very cheap on digital storefronts like GOG or Steam (basically the only platforms I purchase games on).

Console games, on the other hand, often remain at a considerably higher price digitally than their PC ports, but physical copies can often be purchased for a lot cheaper because a shop wants to clear inventory. With the added disadvantage of consoles being locked down (i.e. I can't make a game backup myself on a stock system), I prefer physical copies of my games on console platform which I can later sell, if I no longer play them - but that doesn't mean I necessarily never buy digital console games, for some titles not having to swap discs when changing games is a nice convenience.

 

[KeeperCP1]

In the nintendo switch, digital is your only hope. Though physical copies downloads the game to the storage, it implements an unnecessary DRM that forces you to insert the cart to BOOT the game
The (3)DS(i) line and the Wii (U) handles the physical stuff correctly and doesn't bloat your storage with garbage. Instead, the data is in the cartridge/disc, which was pretty nice compared to the switch's "cartridge" (which is just an accessory that lets you play your fake "physical" game)

 

[Something whatever]

Physical! Digital stores doesnt stay up forever...*ahem Nintendo*​