Problem is we are getting off-topic here. But I'll answer.I guess I struck a nerve, @KleinesSinchen? CD-Rs and DVD-Rs degrade, that's just how it works. You would be the first person I meet that has never encountered bitrot in an optical media collection. You do your thing, I'll do mine and I'll surely don't want to force you to change your ways.
To me it feels we are running into a trap here: Cold text doesn't transport feelings. Maybe you got the impression I angrily hammered the above post into my laptop yesterday. Please just imagine my text read aloud with a friendly voice/tone. I'm under huge stress personally right now. That might add up to the problem (I might not choose the best words), but I don't have any bad intentions, even if using a bit of sarcasm.
"You do your thing, I'll do mine" is how I usually handle everything. That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to openly disagree with somebody, or does it?
You did not strike a nerve, you just repeated the majority opinion on anything physical for the millionth time while mixing up things. This omnipresent "I left this behind, I got beyond that, I'm over these, I'm so progressive and everybody not agreeing is just antiquated (and maybe even stupid)" is just getting annoying over time. This is why I dared to object for once (instead of keeping quiet like I did with the other 1000+ times I've seen such statements). Please don't take this personally. I had no intentions to attack you.
"CD-Rs and DVD-Rs degrade, that's just how it works" Of course they do! Everything humans build does this. Well, I said this above. The thing is: The consensus is ignoring hard facts. Many optical discs can be called ancient regarding computer storage. Failures popping up now is expected and surely not a sign of "bad stuff". They outlasted many other things. The Hynix chips in the Wii U consoles didn't even come close to that age. Not even talking about SDs and USB sticks here.
Now back to the actual topic:
If bad CD-R last almost two decades under questionable storage conditions (like those I investigated), they are still a viable and cheap way for playing PS1 games. The feared and scolded "disc rot" "bit rot" and similar exists. And that means exactly what? That a 20ct cheap CD-R is not to be considered because it will be bad someday?
Of course your XStation is the superior alternative! It is also the more expensive and harder to get started (soldering) alternative.