Convenience and the fact me and my bro have gameshared on PS3, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. That is going to carry over to PS5.
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Apart from media taking up no space, why are you going digital?
- Thread starter nogoodnamesleft
- Start date
Convenience just like many things we own that makes something easier. I have access to all the games I want without needing to change anything to play something else. Just the other day I reinstalled a few games to have something different to play. Loaded them in the install queue went about my day and came back that evening after work and they were all done. Disk I'd have to check back in, change over once one is done and move on to the others.
I also don't feel pressured into pre-ordering. I can wait literally hours before launch if I wanted to buy early if I want to play Day 1.
I also don't feel pressured into pre-ordering. I can wait literally hours before launch if I wanted to buy early if I want to play Day 1.
So when I take my Switch, Vita or 3DS with me I only have to keep track of the console and not worry about dozens of tiny cards getting lost or stolen.
I have no reason to resell my games so the resale value is a non-factor.
I can get a full refund if I do not like a digital game.
I typically play anywhere from four to seven titles at a time. I never know what I will feel like playing. Not uncommon for me to play arcade games for a few minutes while waiting for a friend to come online then play something else. Gets annoying having to change discs each time.
Digital games are often crazy cheap on sale.
Game Pass.
Humble Bundle.
Modern games often require major patches which makes the physical version pointless.
I'd rather pay $5 to $10 to play a rare retro games digitally than hundreds of dollars for a hard to find physical copy.
Less than 2 years ago I watched the neighboring town get destroyed by fire. A lot of people I know saw their game, movie and music libraries literally go up in ashes. Later when the insurance money came in and they found a new home the ones who bought digital simply turned on their new consoles and their games were waiting for them... and many cas es s their old save files as well.
Physical media is.not guaranteed to last.
I am amused when alleged adults fret over me buying digital games.
I have no reason to resell my games so the resale value is a non-factor.
I can get a full refund if I do not like a digital game.
I typically play anywhere from four to seven titles at a time. I never know what I will feel like playing. Not uncommon for me to play arcade games for a few minutes while waiting for a friend to come online then play something else. Gets annoying having to change discs each time.
Digital games are often crazy cheap on sale.
Game Pass.
Humble Bundle.
Modern games often require major patches which makes the physical version pointless.
I'd rather pay $5 to $10 to play a rare retro games digitally than hundreds of dollars for a hard to find physical copy.
Less than 2 years ago I watched the neighboring town get destroyed by fire. A lot of people I know saw their game, movie and music libraries literally go up in ashes. Later when the insurance money came in and they found a new home the ones who bought digital simply turned on their new consoles and their games were waiting for them... and many cas es s their old save files as well.
Physical media is.not guaranteed to last.
I am amused when alleged adults fret over me buying digital games.
- I don't think I have ever resold a game (and I'm not a profilic game purchaser that I need to resell to subsidize my next purchase).
- I haven't done any game lending since the NES and SNES days.
- I don't really care about not having store access several years down the road. Once I move on to the next console I really don't ever bring an old one back out.
- I don't typically buy games at launch, I generally wait until there is a sale.
If any of those things matter to you then I hope all of the manufacturers keep having options out there to fulfill your needs on these fronts. For me none of those things matter so I prefer the convenience of digital.
- I haven't done any game lending since the NES and SNES days.
- I don't really care about not having store access several years down the road. Once I move on to the next console I really don't ever bring an old one back out.
- I don't typically buy games at launch, I generally wait until there is a sale.
If any of those things matter to you then I hope all of the manufacturers keep having options out there to fulfill your needs on these fronts. For me none of those things matter so I prefer the convenience of digital.
The only games that makes sense to buy physical is Nintendo stuff as they have insane resell value. Otherwise, used games are a dime a dozen.
Games are often super cheap (or I wait for them to be cheap enough for me) and it's faster for me to download a game then to go and buy it at the store.
Can purchase games and install them at that very moment remotely. Handy if I'm at work and wanna play a game that night, so happy it's doable now on all 3 systems as long as I make sure I have storage space free. Much better than waiting to get home, pop in a disc, and waiting sometimes over 3 hours before I can play.
From my point of view going All Digital gives me the following benefits
On the flipside what are the advantages to owning physical copies of your games instead?
- Consolidate my library in a single location (No Game is Physical only while some are Digital only)
- Have access where I am (I use my Consoles at work during Breaks & Lunch so that's very practical, along with Tournament set-up
- Make use of the constant digital discounts and free game offerings
- Keep better access to sorting of my library of games to know what I have and could play
- Remove risk of broken/scratched discs
- Allow me to have Digital Only version of Console Hardware for reduced Noise/Price/Size/Heat
- Have access to Library Sharing which is a lot more convenient than Physical Disc sharing. Not just because of not having to transport the games back and forth, but also because things like XB1 Home Console allow you to play the same license across 2 users at the same time
- As mentioned by OP also frees up physical space at home
On the flipside what are the advantages to owning physical copies of your games instead?
- Maybe buy them cheaper vai the Used market
- Maybe resell/trade-in your unused copy for some returns
- Keep access to your game even if it goes unlisted (Rare but indeed a very useful benefit. In such cases you can do a React buy instead of a pre-emptive buy though)
- Keep access to a Vanilla version of the game in case you don't like a patch (Most games ship unfinished with the expectation of a huge Day 0/1 Patch, so this isn't as relevant anymore)
- Save on Download sizes (With the massive Patches this isn't very relevant anymore)
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I pretty much never do this anymore. To much of a hassle.
I never did or do this anyway.
I've yet to experience this with any machine I haven't abandoned years ago.
Not sure this is true really.
For me besides the storage thing, it's the convenience. I can flip through and launch games on a whim and switch between them easily. Like if I'm playing something and a friend starts playing something else and wants me to join them, I can switch to that without even leaving my seat. Also with backwards compatibility being more of a thing now I can have a virtual library that's going to continue with me through gens.
But honestly, not having to have a physical collection and instead having a virtual one is the biggest thing.
Multiple consoles. As long as I have the game downloaded onto the different consoles, I just turn it on and play without having to get a disc.
Cloud saves + Cloud licensing means everything syncs. Why include a disc in the process.
Cloud saves + Cloud licensing means everything syncs. Why include a disc in the process.
Also better regional pricing, in a lot of cases.
But looking through the thread, it seems that the drawbacks of digital don't seem to bother people and benefits of physical don't really matter to them. So yeah, naturally that convenience, however minor (or major in the case of those with mobility issues), will give digital an edge for the people who have listed those reasons.
My main reasoning is I don't trust my local delivery services for launch day releases of things.
I had the option to get TLOU2 for about £2 cheaper physical, but the certainty that my digital copy will unlock the moment the 19th rolls around and I won't be waiting on the Royal Mail is enough for me.
Other than that, I only buy digital stuff if it's cheaper during a sale or event on Steam/PSN/XBL.
I had the option to get TLOU2 for about £2 cheaper physical, but the certainty that my digital copy will unlock the moment the 19th rolls around and I won't be waiting on the Royal Mail is enough for me.
Other than that, I only buy digital stuff if it's cheaper during a sale or event on Steam/PSN/XBL.
Physical sales aren't even worth it for me if I have to pay too much in shipping or have to pay for transportation to and from a store.
I get to enjoy midnight releases from the comfort of my bed.
I get to enjoy midnight releases from the comfort of my bed.
Digital sales have caught up to physical ones. Unless a game is massive or significantly cheaper physically (which is rarely the case on Switch anyhow), I choose the cheaper option. I rarely buy games at launch these days anyway, unless they're games I'd absolutely be holding onto.
Beyond that, I'm trying to be better about needless ordering, shipping, etc. Why create the clutter and waste when there's no need?
That said, I do terribly miss having a little visual representation of my collection / hobby to look at and hope console OS' take a page out of Steam's book in order to give me more agency over that. On Switch, so many of my titles are hidden away in the "more games" section and don't get my attention.
Beyond that, I'm trying to be better about needless ordering, shipping, etc. Why create the clutter and waste when there's no need?
That said, I do terribly miss having a little visual representation of my collection / hobby to look at and hope console OS' take a page out of Steam's book in order to give me more agency over that. On Switch, so many of my titles are hidden away in the "more games" section and don't get my attention.
- Don't Resell my games
- Never lend games out
- Honestly don't care about "ownership"
- I'm fine paying $60 and if your patient most times new titles will be on sale within a month.
In my case it has always been convenience. Not having to switch discs/carts whener I just want to play something for a few minutes. Like right now I switched between Animal Crossing, Smash, Hypercharge and Mortal Kombat 11 in an hour, while laying in bed. XD
I do still buy physical but mostly special editions or games with booklets or pther goodies. So space is not the issue.
I do still buy physical but mostly special editions or games with booklets or pther goodies. So space is not the issue.
Back when I built my first PC around 2010 and went digital only on PC, it was due to Steam's incredible (and frequent) sales.
The last few years Steam's sales haven't been nearly as good as when they still did daily deals during the big sales, but if you wait long enough you can still get some solid deals.
Consoles I either go digital for cheap enough sales or if I know I'm going to enjoy a game enough and don't plan to sell it.
On Switch I buy a ton of stuff digital, but mainly because a lot of the games I buy are smaller indie stuff with no physical editions (or more expensive limited runs), and I know I want to keep a lot of Nintendo games.
I actually regret getting stuff like BOTW and Mario Kart 8 DX physically because I've gotten so used to digital that I hate needing to have those cartridges with me to swap out when I get in the mood to play them.
The last few years Steam's sales haven't been nearly as good as when they still did daily deals during the big sales, but if you wait long enough you can still get some solid deals.
Consoles I either go digital for cheap enough sales or if I know I'm going to enjoy a game enough and don't plan to sell it.
On Switch I buy a ton of stuff digital, but mainly because a lot of the games I buy are smaller indie stuff with no physical editions (or more expensive limited runs), and I know I want to keep a lot of Nintendo games.
I actually regret getting stuff like BOTW and Mario Kart 8 DX physically because I've gotten so used to digital that I hate needing to have those cartridges with me to swap out when I get in the mood to play them.
Word for word exactly my situation in Eastern Europe, I just mostly buy everything in US psn, as it is cheaper than retail here, for pc through humble bundles lately mostly, humble choice, pc gamepass e.t.c.
Took the words out of my keyboard. I used to be a no digital/all physical customer. But right now the only advantage that physical offers me, is collectivity. And im not interested in that anymore. Besides there are some games which cant be even bought physically(Warframe, SMITE, etc.) and there are other games in which it's totally pointless because it requires internet and connection to a service(ESO, For Honor, etc.)
Digital wins in several areas of convenience:
- Being able to buy a game from home and playing it within an hour
- Having access to a new title the moment it releases
- I like to switch games a lot and would prefer to not fiddle with several discs at a time
- Physical games can get lost or damaged, especially with discs and especially if there are kids in the house
- In the case of the Switch, I can take it anywhere without having to take a pile of cartridges with me
- Better for the environment
- No clutter in your living room
- Being able to buy a game from home and playing it within an hour
- Having access to a new title the moment it releases
- I like to switch games a lot and would prefer to not fiddle with several discs at a time
- Physical games can get lost or damaged, especially with discs and especially if there are kids in the house
- In the case of the Switch, I can take it anywhere without having to take a pile of cartridges with me
- Better for the environment
- No clutter in your living room
I can have 500 games installed on my PS4 at one time.
My physical games collection has fewer games than that and occupies 8 huge boxes in a storage locker.
My physical games collection has fewer games than that and occupies 8 huge boxes in a storage locker.
This right here. Clearly the biggest plus is to change games on the fly
I have 2 siblings and whatever system I buy, we tend to have a second system of within 1-2 years.
It's extremely convenient to go digital when your working with more than 1 system, especially when my siblings are pretty big on playing videogames. It's nice being able to buy a game on release and not have to have arguments over who gets to play it first and who doesn't (I'm working with a 10 year old).
With digital I just download the game on both systems and off we go. Just makes life a lot easier for me. I also just generally enjoy the convenience factor of digital. no disks, everything is on one system ready for me to play.
It's extremely convenient to go digital when your working with more than 1 system, especially when my siblings are pretty big on playing videogames. It's nice being able to buy a game on release and not have to have arguments over who gets to play it first and who doesn't (I'm working with a 10 year old).
With digital I just download the game on both systems and off we go. Just makes life a lot easier for me. I also just generally enjoy the convenience factor of digital. no disks, everything is on one system ready for me to play.
If society ever gets to a point where the internet falls apart we will have much bigger problems than being able to play games.
Discs this gen have been glorified DRM. Modern Warfare is like 200 GB at this point. What's on that disc?
I don't resell games anymore, know my tastes well enough to be picky about what games I buy.
Discs this gen have been glorified DRM. Modern Warfare is like 200 GB at this point. What's on that disc?
I don't resell games anymore, know my tastes well enough to be picky about what games I buy.
Convenience of game swapping is my favorite thing as well as less physical clutter. I wonder how big the storage will be for PS5...
Morally I can't really defend digital games but damn, it's so convenient if you have access to fast internet speeds. I've noticed a huge change in my purchase behavior due to Game Pass too. If (console game) pricing drops to a point where it's comparable to hardware sales I'll go 95% digital next gen and only get my favorite franchises for my physical collection.
Oh wow I didn't realize they had released that info already, thank you!
I gotta download or install games anyway. Physical is starting to seem too inconvenient and an intermittent step.
I don't trade in or sell games.
I don't lend games since my friends aren't gamers.
I'm at a point where 99% of games I buy I will play through once and I'm done with them. I don't revisit old games and despite keeping previous gen systems, I never go back and play them.
Price is a non factor. I'll pay the $60 for a game at launch if I want to play the game. After the Amazon prime pre-order promotions ended I've purchased all games off of PSN or XBL. As far as "owning a game", if servers were ever shut down where I couldn't re-download a game, the physical games without the plethora of patches released or live GaaS style games would be worthless anyway.
I have Fios internet, 1 gig up and down with no caps, I'll delete and re-download games if necessary.
I have no desire to have game cases on display. I especially don't give a crap about limited/collectors editions that come with a bunch of useless crap that will never get any use.
The convenience and ease of digital outweighs any perks of physical copies.
I have a hard time figuring out the advantage of discs.
There used to be some value in trading or selling them back. I think this is very dependent on the person. In my younger days this was totally true, much less so today. So I don't want to place a value on this because I really think it depends on your financial and social situation.
But outside of that, playing an older game still requires the real hardware to play on. So even from a collector perspective, having games digitally on your HDD or having Discs is fundamentally the same thing. Both HDD and Discs require maintenance to keep them working long term so I don't think there is a real benefit either way.
The advantage of digital today also is that it, assuming Back Compat continues on, having the digital version makes it easier to move between generations of console.
And the reality also is that we're past the days of full, standalone games that don't require updates. I'm not saying this is a good thing, but even if you had a disc the version of the game that exists on that disc is largely not the complete version of the game - so you still need to be online and the game needs to be active to get you the update.
The other thing - which I'm also not saying is great - is that so many games require online connections and online servers that there are other ways the game could become obsolete even if the disc exists.
Practically speaking, in 2020, a Disc is most likely irrelevant for a lot of (but not all) games. The game on the disc is incomplete, the game itself is at risk of not working due to other online requirements, and the disc may not work in a future console. All of this is solved with a digital version.
The other advantage of the disc may relate to emulation if you want to play the game on another device, but that's pretty niche.
There used to be some value in trading or selling them back. I think this is very dependent on the person. In my younger days this was totally true, much less so today. So I don't want to place a value on this because I really think it depends on your financial and social situation.
But outside of that, playing an older game still requires the real hardware to play on. So even from a collector perspective, having games digitally on your HDD or having Discs is fundamentally the same thing. Both HDD and Discs require maintenance to keep them working long term so I don't think there is a real benefit either way.
The advantage of digital today also is that it, assuming Back Compat continues on, having the digital version makes it easier to move between generations of console.
And the reality also is that we're past the days of full, standalone games that don't require updates. I'm not saying this is a good thing, but even if you had a disc the version of the game that exists on that disc is largely not the complete version of the game - so you still need to be online and the game needs to be active to get you the update.
The other thing - which I'm also not saying is great - is that so many games require online connections and online servers that there are other ways the game could become obsolete even if the disc exists.
Practically speaking, in 2020, a Disc is most likely irrelevant for a lot of (but not all) games. The game on the disc is incomplete, the game itself is at risk of not working due to other online requirements, and the disc may not work in a future console. All of this is solved with a digital version.
The other advantage of the disc may relate to emulation if you want to play the game on another device, but that's pretty niche.
I don't resell. - I don't think I've gotten anything worthwhile from reselling a game in my life. If you go the corporate route they tend to lock you into their store. Most of the folks I knew who did that gave their collection up to Gamestop to join a pre-ordering cycle which diminished in value.
I don't lend. - I've lost every single game I've lent to a friend. I switched over to swapping games, but I haven't swapped a game in over a decade.
Can't keep in case store is shut down later and you can't redownload. - Eh, hasn't been an issue yet. I've had to rebuy physical games before so I'm not quite sold on the immortality of physical discs especially in my hands.
Higher "on launch" prices for games - Not really an issue here in US. I've kept track of all my purchases this generation which is 99% digital. If I take out the gifts and games with gold I still average about $30.64 per game. Factored in, it drops to $10.44. I've found that the first games on a new system are the most expensive, once I have a lengthy game I can sink my teeth into I can wait for sales. Additionally, I've kept an eye on physical game sales. I never really saw a sale that I was jealous over. They might see a slight dip earlier after release, but rarely was there anything that came close to even tempting me. I also use bing rewards for the credit not for subscriptions.
I went digital mostly due to convenience. I really liked the idea of having the disc but not needing inserted which was proposed by the xbox one. After it was killed in the crib I decided I would go all digital. Another huge factor which harkens back to convenience, is the sheer amount of potential hassle with obtaining a physical copy.
-games delayed or missing on delivery.
-games being destroyed in delivery.
-driving in shitty weather.
-dealing with opened and gutted copies.
-finding an associate to open cages.
-stores selling out and being forced to look elsewhere.
-long lines. Especially in gamestop where you have to listen to the sales pitch for every customer or an impromptu Ted Talk directed at moms on the importance of having an additional set of used joycons.
As time goes on these hassles add up. It came to the point where going to stores for games elicited the same feeling of visiting the DMV.
I haven't regretted it yet. The only things I miss is the excitement of "having a thing coming" and the joy of making room on a shelf and watching a collection grow. I can get that satisfaction elsewhere.
I don't lend. - I've lost every single game I've lent to a friend. I switched over to swapping games, but I haven't swapped a game in over a decade.
Can't keep in case store is shut down later and you can't redownload. - Eh, hasn't been an issue yet. I've had to rebuy physical games before so I'm not quite sold on the immortality of physical discs especially in my hands.
Higher "on launch" prices for games - Not really an issue here in US. I've kept track of all my purchases this generation which is 99% digital. If I take out the gifts and games with gold I still average about $30.64 per game. Factored in, it drops to $10.44. I've found that the first games on a new system are the most expensive, once I have a lengthy game I can sink my teeth into I can wait for sales. Additionally, I've kept an eye on physical game sales. I never really saw a sale that I was jealous over. They might see a slight dip earlier after release, but rarely was there anything that came close to even tempting me. I also use bing rewards for the credit not for subscriptions.
I went digital mostly due to convenience. I really liked the idea of having the disc but not needing inserted which was proposed by the xbox one. After it was killed in the crib I decided I would go all digital. Another huge factor which harkens back to convenience, is the sheer amount of potential hassle with obtaining a physical copy.
-games delayed or missing on delivery.
-games being destroyed in delivery.
-driving in shitty weather.
-dealing with opened and gutted copies.
-finding an associate to open cages.
-stores selling out and being forced to look elsewhere.
-long lines. Especially in gamestop where you have to listen to the sales pitch for every customer or an impromptu Ted Talk directed at moms on the importance of having an additional set of used joycons.
As time goes on these hassles add up. It came to the point where going to stores for games elicited the same feeling of visiting the DMV.
I haven't regretted it yet. The only things I miss is the excitement of "having a thing coming" and the joy of making room on a shelf and watching a collection grow. I can get that satisfaction elsewhere.
Again, it's not that wild.
How do people expect me to switch discs when on remote play? How would the Xbox know that i own "Assassin's Creed - Gunslinger" or whatever, when the disc's not in the drive and it's not a digital license?
As soon as you add cloud services to the equation, the physical disc is not 'equal' to the digital license anymore.
I'll wait for cheap downloads. Games are normally really cheap after 3 months.
I don't lend games. I forget them, or don't get them back. Friends are also going digital only. Do you lend your cds?
I don't resell, not necessary because I buy games to play X hours which is enough to get my money back. Not needed anymore? I just delete the game.
What do you do when your cd/bluray is scratched?
Do you have spotify or Netflix? How does that work?
I mean, I agree with you... but people will instantly call you lazy or say LOL FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS HUH
But that's what i mean. Sure, the convenience can be considered a minor factor.
But as soon as you factor in remote play or xCloud, we're leaving "convenience" behind and we're talking about "feasibility".
Like, there is no other way to switch between games via remote play, unless at least one of them is digital.
I honestly don't care to have a physical collection anymore. Most all media I consume nowadays is digital, whether it be through downloads or streaming services. It's much more convenient in regards to accessing and organizing content. I guess these days I just value convenience more than my media having a physical presence.
Games on disk are sold to you with barely any part of the game. So collecting a useless disk is pointless. In 20 some years you wont be able to do like a SNES and just put it in and have it work.
So all digital for me.
So all digital for me.
This is the main reason for me.
I went all digital since I've bought my Vita in 2014 and again with the PS4Pro in 2016 and I don't regret it
It's cheaper where I live. No sales tax charged on PSN purchases so that's like $10 off the bat for a new release. Plus PSN sales are almost always better than what I can find for physical deals in stores (especially because 13% GST+PST is a consideration here as well... A physical discount would have to be quite a bit better than a PSN deal to make up for the gap in actual money spent due to tax).
Plus I like playing big releases at 9PM Thursday night.
Plus I like playing big releases at 9PM Thursday night.
I never resold games in previous generations nor had a reason to. I would only lend my games out to my brother. Going digital I can now game/account share with my brother and his family and we go half and half on games we both want to play.
I also have over 400 games on PS4 around 100 on Xbox 1 and close to 30 on Switch. I don't need that many boxes taking up space in my house.
I also have over 400 games on PS4 around 100 on Xbox 1 and close to 30 on Switch. I don't need that many boxes taking up space in my house.
"lazy" isn't a good answer. I don't sell games, I don't lend games (too many situations where they get lost or damaged,) and I've since recognized that physical games don't really last or have more validity than digital, and they go out of print and become basically impossible to get or replace just as easily. Digital takes up less space, is more convenient, doesn't break irreparably and is marginally better for the environment. In addition, they aren't hard to back up legitimately outside of Nintendo's stuff, so shops shutting down isn't a big risk if you take some time to move everything to another drive.
Physical is more junk to have to deal with for no pay off. Digital sales have even been good, cutting 50% or more off of a game and skirting the worry of damaged or used goods.
Physical is more junk to have to deal with for no pay off. Digital sales have even been good, cutting 50% or more off of a game and skirting the worry of damaged or used goods.
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