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General and Gaming => General => Topic started by: lucaspalm on March 31, 2026, 05:06:57 am

Title: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: lucaspalm on March 31, 2026, 05:06:57 am
Hi everyone,
I’ve been wondering lately if people still prefer physical copies over digital games.
Personally, I like collecting physical games, but digital is just more convenient sometimes.
Do you still buy discs/cartridges or mostly go digital now?
Curious to hear what everyone prefers and why.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: telekill on March 31, 2026, 08:02:47 am
Absolutely. If given the option, I'll opt towards the physical edition. The only time this doesn't apply is when you're buying a physical game but the actual game data isn't on the disc or cart. This hits hardest in the newest Nintendo gen with Switch 2 having game key carts instead of game carts on quite a few of their titles.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: kamikazekeeg on March 31, 2026, 03:42:53 pm
I'll always support physical, but I'm also a PC gamer and PC has been digital only for many years now, so I do both. I reserve physical to consoles these days, which I have a PS5 and I still have my Switch games even though I don't have a Switch at the moment.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: sworddude on March 31, 2026, 03:57:12 pm
Physical or bust.

if buying ain't owning sailing the seven seas ain't stealing

(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdTJsenltemtmcHNvZDV2cmJwY2hjYW9jbWdjMWFnb2o0anZkMXZtdCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/g4dlzht0NwlbO/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: Cartagia on March 31, 2026, 06:29:14 pm
Quote from: kamikazekeeg on March 31, 2026, 03:42:53 pm
I'll always support physical, but I'm also a PC gamer and PC has been digital only for many years now, so I do both. I reserve physical to consoles these days, which I have a PS5 and I still have my Switch games even though I don't have a Switch at the moment.

Same here.  Physical for anything console related (unless the price is too good to pass up), but I also love my Steam Deck, and there's no actual option there.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: bikingjahuty on March 31, 2026, 10:51:43 pm
I will always go with physical. I don't consider digital games a form of ownership regardless of whether they were purchased or downloaded illegally.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: bizzgeburt on April 01, 2026, 05:29:13 am
physical - no question about that preference  8) and ideally original hardware to play it on.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: juanblue85 on April 01, 2026, 07:22:10 pm
I have been mostly physical for the longest time but do tend to buy a digital copy every now and then if either the game is awesome or on sale at a good enough price for me. I used to get a lot of games on Steam but slowed it down to sales with a few full price buys here and there.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: segadude on April 01, 2026, 09:48:01 pm
Physical-no question! I have been around since the Atari 2600 days and I started collecting the games and systems that were my favorites up to the Dreamcast, PS2, and Xbox. When I was an avid gamer, we actually OWNED the stuff we bought! I've noticed that the video game industry and much of the other markets have been slowly turning from an ownership model to a subscription model. While digital, online and emulation have made games convenient, that have also controlled the games to the point that you no longer own what you buy. You buy a game, you may have to buy additional content to play it or make progress in the game. Customization, colors, items may cost you more. Upgrading to newer consoles may mean re-buying your game(s) again. No instruction manuals come with them, you have to go online if the manuals are available. You might have to download the game, constantly perform updates to correct bugs and fixes, possibly enable newer capabilities. The game you bought, kept updated, and played religiously, may eventually end up on a server that the company will shut it down. If you bought an Atari 2600 and a game for it in 1977, it's very possible- you can still play it in 2026!! Plus it had a manual, sometimes in color! You may need to clean the cartridge contacts with alcohol and a q-tip, but you could still play it! It was Yours!
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: telekill on April 02, 2026, 08:20:00 am
Going to add a prediction for the future of gaming.

With prices skyrocketing out of the grasp of the general population, I don't see any company making a return on what they put in after this generation. That leads me to two possible outcomes.

1. The industry crashes and crashes hard. With all the layoffs that have occurred over the last couple years, it's possible we're already in the midst of it, but somehow it was slow rolled.

2. With next hardware already well into developement and planned releases impending, I expect the next gen will be the last for physical hardware. As an example, if PS6 launches at $1000 as many are speculating (obviously we won't know till it happens), then expect a massive drop off in userbase. This will force Sony to take the Microsoft approach and switch to a more SaaS ideal, where Playstation will be streamed like Netflix. Playstation Plus will become Playstation, replacing hardware entirely as the masses wouldn't be able to afford hardware from here on.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: wowgek7 on April 03, 2026, 07:20:16 pm
physical since its already getting too digital for my taste at this point I am out. I buy the last few switch games I wnat (without big patches) and after that my gaming days are done at elats modern gaming

they can stick their digital future where the sun doesnt shiny I am not gonna pay for games that I dont own and can get taken away at any moment.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: weirdfeline on April 04, 2026, 07:22:31 pm
I just bought Black Ops 7 new for $5. Physical is pretty cool!
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: Cartagia on April 04, 2026, 09:20:08 pm
Picked up a copy of Assassin's Creed Mirage for PS5.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: randomstranger on April 07, 2026, 06:18:16 am
Whenever it is reasonable, absolutely.

It's reasonable if:

If these don't apply, then the game is not a physical release. Once you activated it, it's just an empty box with maybe a manual.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: marvelvscapcom2 on April 07, 2026, 11:48:39 pm
Oh absolutely, I don't consider digital games tangible products and I don't seek them over physical ever.  I am not saying I don't buy them because the convenience certainly gets me from time to time.  And some deals are just simply worth it as a rental.  Like 5 dollars for borderlands 3 or something. 5 dollars can't get me a bag of chicken nuggets. So it doest bother me. So I do it out of laziness or cheapness. But it is definitely like comparing an nft to a rembrandt.  A one night stand to a good healthy marraige.  I love the feeling of holding a piece of art. Although the qjality of the case and what is included has become laughably bad over the years. It's still a piece of tech that will most likely outlive the system that plays it.


Perhaps this website is a very tilted place to ask this considering it's made of mostly physical game collectors lol.  But I also echo everyone here.  Team physical! :)
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: wartoy on April 13, 2026, 07:44:51 pm
Physical games are a must for me 99.8 percent off the time.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: 2ko on April 13, 2026, 08:03:55 pm
I'm probably in the minority in that I actually prefer digital. It's just easier to manage imo, and on the more modern systems you kind of need a network connection to download all the patches, texture packs and sometimes the game itself even if you have a physical copy.

Now physical for me is reserved for my favorite games on the system I want to own. They serve as kind of decoration I guess, cause honestly I would prefer to own them digitally. I want people to look at my physical collection and be able to tell exactly what games I love. So my collection is more a reflection of my taste in games than a reflection of the games I've played. I own a flashcart for most of my older systems (or I've hacked them to play downloaded games, like my PSP and 3DS) so I can just download games to try before I buy them.

I wasn't always digital over physical though. Back when I was a maximalist collector (just trying to get the biggest collection I could) I was physical over digital 100%. To the point I kind of missed a lot of great digital games cause I didn't want to spend my money on digital games when I could be spending it on games for my collection.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: ssj4yamgeta on April 16, 2026, 06:51:27 pm
Definitely physical. If a digital game isn't a rom or DRM-free GOG version that I can make infinite backup copies of, I don't even consider it part of my collection.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: mrkonasoni on April 23, 2026, 11:41:22 pm
Physical, but at some point I have to decided between commodity or find where to put another little box, honestly I ran off of space so I mostly just buy physical the games I genuinely want or when they are cheap and I am feeling like making space in my room.

Digital for all their consequences is pretty practical and I assume more people at some point prefer that over collecting, at the end I guess is a bit of both for me and once again, a lot of people.

That being said, Nintendo published games are always exclusively physical for me because they barely go in discount in the eShop and if I gonna pay 70$ for a game (50$-60$ now apparently) might as well buy it physical.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: telekill on April 27, 2026, 08:06:55 am
Seems Sony has implemented a rule on new digital purchases...oddly...the very rule that Microsoft implemented causing so much backlash that propelled the PS4's sales. That new rule is that once every 30 days, your Playstation must connect to PSN to verify your keycodes, or your digital games will brick. My understanding is previously purchased digital games will remain unaffected.

So, this means the end of me buying any digital only games.

Congrats on adding yet another reason to not buy a PS6, Sony.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: sworddude on April 27, 2026, 08:10:18 am
Quote from: telekill on April 27, 2026, 08:06:55 am
Seems Sony has implemented a rule on new digital purchases...oddly...the very rule that Microsoft implemented causing so much backlash that propelled the PS4's sales. That new rule is that once every 30 days, your Playstation must connect to PSN to verify your keycodes, or your digital games will brick. My understanding is previously purchased digital games will remain unaffected.

So, this means the end of me buying any digital only games.

Congrats on adding yet another reason to not buy a PS6, Sony.

what if you connect in say 80 days since you haven't touched the game in a while I'd assume it's still playable than since it's probably gotto connect to the internet per 30 days to keep the code active. but there is no time limit in which when you do so if you play it much later on.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: telekill on April 27, 2026, 02:45:25 pm
Quote from: sworddude on April 27, 2026, 08:10:18 am
Quote from: telekill on April 27, 2026, 08:06:55 am
Seems Sony has implemented a rule on new digital purchases...oddly...the very rule that Microsoft implemented causing so much backlash that propelled the PS4's sales. That new rule is that once every 30 days, your Playstation must connect to PSN to verify your keycodes, or your digital games will brick. My understanding is previously purchased digital games will remain unaffected.

So, this means the end of me buying any digital only games.

Congrats on adding yet another reason to not buy a PS6, Sony.

what if you connect in say 80 days since you haven't touched the game in a while I'd assume it's still playable than since it's probably gotto connect to the internet per 30 days to keep the code active. but there is no time limit in which when you do so if you play it much later on.

You have to think long term. Let's say you pull your digital PS5 out of storage in 10 years. For whatever reason the nic card in it is toast but you still have your favorite single player games installed. You won't be able to play them.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: sly345 on April 29, 2026, 06:34:35 pm
I still use DVD/BD/4KBD/CD/R2R and yes also Cartridges
I do use emulators, i use steam but i do prefer physical media, i do prefer real manuals and i like boxes. I do like holding something in my hands.

I recently got into comic books (batman, superman, that stuff, never was into it as a kid for some reason, took me a long time to really get a taste for it i guess) and i could've gotten everything on kindle for a fraction of what i paid, but when i hold that fucking 3 kilogram monstrosity that is "Batman Adventures Omnibus" in my arms like it's a baby, yeah, i know why i prefer that medium. Also nobody can alter it or kill it (like Amazon did with 1984 on kindle, Ubisoft did with The Crew or music services only having remixes or remasters on service instead of the original music or  Rockstar did with the current versions of the old GTA games)
With movies the advantage is even bigger since the bitrate on most streaming sites is disgusting and not any better than high quality DVD (Amazon Prime has movies with 2 Gigabytes, 1080 and everytime the pictures goes black you can count the pixels like it's a Atari 2600 game)
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: wolff242 on May 10, 2026, 12:26:37 pm
Physical all the way. I have no shortage of digital, but I don't track any of that stuff here because I don't consider them truly a part of my collection. I still prefer CD's and DVD's/Blu Rays all day every day.
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: bunnybear on May 13, 2026, 10:49:36 pm
Quote from: sworddude on March 31, 2026, 03:57:12 pm
Physical or bust
This
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: nikosite on September 10, 2026, 04:00:17 pm
I have to be frank, I never thought this would be such a big deal until I had a thought that I might could lose my Steam account, although that's very unlikely but still.
Then, I realized I could simply just create Google Drive links for the games and from there I'll be able to not only download them anytime I'd like but let others have fun.
But, I might could also lose my Google account, and then... well, I could lose everything and I'll be left devastated.
While digital media is the most practical, physical media is about the long-term reliance, aside the ownership, obviously.

I support both physical and digital media because they suit me either way, as long as we all do not support greedy companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, we're fine.

NIKOSITE (https://nikosite.github.io/nikosite.com/)
Title: Re: Do you still prefer physical games or digital?
Post by: sworddude on September 11, 2026, 10:25:28 am
If we are talking about the pros of digital.

early acces.

I'm not a person that needs to discuss with folks about gameplay and have it a day orso before release so that factor of digital being beneficial not for me but hey if you are that kinda guy, solid reason cause hypetrain goes down fast gotto be there at release or preferably even earlier.

convenience not having to swap games and not having to either go to a store or buy it on sites like amazon

Kinda lazy but I mean if it's worth it to some more power to you, lazy options exist for both but you gotto walk to your mailbox for physical I guess

Physical discs breaking down but digital is more reliable

I mean consoles will break down sooner than discs plus digital being rentals anyway so probably ending far sooner than you playing a game disc till it's unusable. plus I've seen examples of account bans (for no good reason site errors) in which people lose their entire library which they paid a small fortune for with customer service giving them the finger or refunding them a fraction of what it costed said user. doesn't seem that safe to me.

speaking of stuff being stuck digital, updates that censor the game, we've had examples like skullgirls getting content removed or altered in which it's worse. something that people spend good money on years ago suddenly being altered when you boot the game up and you now having a product you didn't ask for. with physical you could just play an older update. that is a massive con how your content can be neutered years down the line.

The pro's of digital are not that amazing, give me ownership, something nice on the shelf and resale value if I want to get rid of it. and that it's often still cheaper than digital is a massive bonus that shouldn't even exist. I personally don't see the appeal of digital when you are paying more for it with such small pros. aside from early acces it basicly boils down to folks being lazy.

Quote from: nikosite on September 10, 2026, 04:00:17 pm
I have to be frank, I never thought this would be such a big deal until I had a thought that I might could lose my Steam account, although that's very unlikely but still.
Then, I realized I could simply just create Google Drive links for the games and from there I'll be able to not only download them anytime I'd like but let others have fun.

is that even legal? might get taken down so not sustainable unless private on your own pc