Why You Shouldn’t Buy an All-Digital PlayStation 5 or Possible Discless Next-Gen Xbox

The new consoles are almost here! Sony announced two versions of the PlayStation 5: a standard edition with a UHD Blu-ray drive, and an all-digital version. With Microsoft also expected to drop an all-digital next-gen Xbox, you might be tempted to ditch the disc drive this time around. Here’s why you might want to reconsider that.

[ziggurcat]

Not another "you should spend your money how I want you to spend your money" opinion piece...

[Sonic-and-Crash]

no physical format for games ...no gaming for me ..at the moment the industry will go full digital i ll stop gaming too..

[ziggurcat]

When did Sony or MS say they were doing away with the physical disc editions?

[Sonic-and-Crash]

@Ziggur ...they didnt..... but is rumored by the industry for future console gens after PS5 and XseriesX

[SegaGamer]

"the moment the industry will go full digital i ll stop gaming too"

I don't believe you for a second. People that say this are talking out of their ass.

[enkiduxiv]

I understand the sentiment, but the industry already has gone digital. Do you really think you play a copy of game like TLOU2 or Ghost without downloading a 100 gigabyte game directly onto a hard drive? Once the publisher shuts off the servers your discs are just coasters.

The real value in owning a disc is being able to lend the game to a friend. If you do this regularly with someone you can both save a lot of money. Otherwise, I would say to go digital just so you aren’t chained to a physical disc when you want to play something.

[stiggs]

"the moment the industry will go full digital i ll stop gaming"

So you're saying that you'd deprive yourself the enjoyment of playing games if they were no longer available on a physical disc. That doesn't make any sense. Did people stop watching films or listening to music when streaming became the dominant format? C'mon now, stop being so hyperbolic.

[DigitalHope]

Question for you. Considering the speed of the SSD in PS5, the disk would only act as a “CD Key” as reading data off a disk would be too slow. So if physical installs the whole game on the SSD like a digital version would, is there really a difference? Out side of maybe putting your cases in a bookshelf what does physical really do for you?

[darthv72]

I have yet to see one person actually live up to that claim. It reminds me of all the celebs who threatened to leave America because Trump was president. And yet they are still here.

[D3TH_D33LR]

How unfortunate for you

[stefd75]

Im 45 with any luck the day they go full digital I hope to be long dead :) and i want to be buried with my games. I have never brought a digital game. If i can get physical like with Gundam Vs Maxi Boost then I try to order it from Asia like i did with the fore mentioned Gundam game. This is why i dont use a PC for gaming. I like to own my games. I just dont trust companies not to remove them of their systems. Look what happened to PT, Most Telltale games, DriveClub, Deadpool and only last week The Sinking City. The digital versions gone.

[milohighclub]

it was also a rumour that this gen would be and next gen. i reckon we got 2 more gen easy before that happens.

[Kornholic]

@enkiduxiv

You can absolutely play TLOU2, Ghost of Tsushima and the overwhelming majority of games without having to download a patch. Stop spreading lies.

[sprinterboy]

Anybody who says things like I will stop gaming when it's all digital clearly isn't a big gamer.
Thats like saying I'd never listen to music when vinyl or cds stopped being a thing when it went mp3 players and everyone and there cat downloaded free music off torrents streaming

[HASHTAGSMITTY]

Are you going to stop listening to music and watching movies when those stop pressing physical formats? Its inevitable and I'm sure you'll survive.

[TheScotsman]

We won't miss you. We all be to busy gaming to notice or care your not here 😁

[UnSelf]

Not one person in this room trade games with their friends?

[rainslacker]

I may not give up gaming, but I wouldnt spend as much money on it. If I'm paying full price, I want a physical copy. I also wouldn't buy games just to collect them. My desire to get a new console would be put on hold.

No rational reason behind why I'd wait more for digital, it's just I prefer physical, and since digital is always available, I'll just wait for sales, or more likely just skip over games because the way I shop for digital games is much different than how I shop for physical games.

My personal change in buying habits wont kill the industry, but I do spend a lot of money on gaming. That'll be offset by their potential increase in revenue, but the industries desires dont match up with my own personal demands for what they produce.

I already buy less music and movies. I still buy movies I really want. I dont mind streaming most movies...but for movies I really like, or want to experience all they have to offer, UHD is a much better option. It costs more, but I'm willing to pay for more quality and better sound. I stream music now as its included with my prime membership, but music for me is now more background than something I care about. Gaming would probably fall somewhere between those two things, but the mediums and delivery systems are different.

[xTonyMontana]

I won' go digital but I won't delude myself into thinking I'd quit my favourite hobby. Here in the UK, our retailers are having a price war we benefit from. Games that underdeliver can have their prices controlled by publishers. COD advanced warfighter I think it was, game might have been on digital sale frequently, It was almost always on sale on ShopTo for £18 about two months after release.

[1Victor]

Keep comparing music and movies to games all you want but they not the same as digital games, YOU DON’T NEED A INTERNET CHECK IN TO USE THEM LIKE ALL DIGITAL GAMES do me a favor and disconnect your console/PC of the internet and try to play your games.
Digital game got no benefits over physical the cost the same but if you don’t have internet connection they’re useless.

[CrimsonWing69]

No you wouldn’t

[Unspoken]

Guess you stopped listening to music too. Stop using money when it goes digital. Stop watching movies when it goes digital. Stop ordering products when e commerce is digital. Stop writing on forums that are digital. Stop going to the doctor when they use digital equipment. Just stop using tech all together.

The world is going to be virtual eventually.

[SullysCigar]

Exactly what I thought! I'll buy what I like.

I like physical media, personally, but let the market speak.

[CaptainObvious878]

To all the arrogant know-it-alls saying I will still buy into consoles gaming if they go all digital, please shut up.

I can tell you absolutely I will not be giving any company a single cent if they do that and will simply stick to retro gaming.

Just because you have zero conviction or resilience and will bend over for anything a company tells you to, doesn't mean I will. Stop your projection.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Well the reason is simple for me. I have a lot of PS4 physical games so the digital version wouldn't work for me.

[ziggurcat]

I went all digital in 2014, so the Digital Edition of the console is the way I'm going with the PS5.

[neutralgamer1992]

I don't think we are going away from physical media anytime soon. The data which publishers release is so screwed up because they include micro transactions as part of digital sales so we don't know for a fact the exact percentage between physical and digital

My personal guess is it's still majority physical 55-60% and 40-45% digital. During covid it gave publishers Chance to release digital only not instead they delayed their games until they could release both at the same time. We will probably see digital only in 15-20 years and even than we will have companies release physical copies because there will always be demand for that

[Knightofelemia]

I'll just skipped the digital version I like to collect games I just wonder how much of a price difference there will be between the two machines. Microsoft screwed up with their all digital machine by making it a $50 price difference between the all digital and the disc drive XB1S.

[Cueil]

and yet it sold gangbusters last holiday... I think they probably should have released it the year before and with a smaller form factor, but at the time of release and only a year-ish before the next-gen I kind of get it even if I don't like it

[Kornholic]

Gangbusters, lol. MS hasn't revealed sales numbers in years.

[porkChop]

The drive costs very little, so any discount couldn't be more than $50. The drive doesn't cost anywhere near $50, so they'd be losing money even with such a small discount.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

Exactly. People seem to want to dismiss the true cost of the parts that go into these consoles. People who break down the cost of parts seem to want to use retail costs per part instead of the massive wholesale discount given to companies when they order parts by the millions.

[milohighclub]

100 difference for ps5 is a safe bet

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

So is a $50 difference, given history.

[QSPR]

If both bring the same space on the SSD, I'm going with physical, just you know, when you find games dirty cheap. but mostly used digital.

[Unspoken]

You can still collect games, you'll just be able to store them in a hard drive instead of a cabinet.

[potatoseal]

Why you shouldn't give a single click to a garbage gutter-level gaming website like HowToGeek

[BillyG0AT]

I'm buying digital. For the 1 or 2 exclusives per year that I will buy.

[anonymousfan]

PS5 is the first console I am considering going mostly digital just for the lazy option to switch btw games instantly from the SSD rather than getting of the couch. I want the option to buy physical for collecting my favorite games though... The type I will leave in the disc drive for a few weeks or even months at a time like some quality open world game.

[sprinterboy]

Been digital a while now and I don't miss the getting off the couch to swap fifa and cod every hour lol.

[anonymousfan]

Oh yeah lol makes perfect sense especially for games you'd want to enjoy in small doses :)

[tombfan]

I don't get the dislikes, it's supreme to don't stand up to change games ahaha

[rainslacker]

Since you can still buy digital with the regular one, I cant imagine the price difference would be big enough to make me consider limiting my long term options. I would go all digital either way, but I dont mind spending more with what I consider a better value.

[RCslayer]

Really you can't get off the couch to put in a disk.

The future is people with guys down past their d*%ks and having heart attacks at 25. "Siri can you come wipe my a$$ for me" "Alexia can you feed me"

[anonymousfan]

Take a chill pill seriously.

[sprinterboy]

Getting off the couch to insert a disc doesn't reduce heart attacks or healthy fitness dude.

[GordyNYC]

My choice is based on my behavior with the current console. Have yet to buy a physical game on my PS4 and now I don’t have to worry about my PS4 games coming over to the ps5. My library is coming with me to the next gen automatically.

[sprinterboy]

I can almost guarentee the consumer will choose the digital version, the disc based console will be about 35% of the overall sales imo come the end of the gen.
Its why Sony are waiting for the series S price so they can adjust accordingly. Ps5 disc and series X disc will be priced high on purpose to sway the consumer into the ps5 digital and series S will be super low in price £350 getting it back in software, accessories etc

[anonymousfan]

Ouf that's a tough prediction. Keep in mind there are millions of PS4 gamers out there with physical games and the thing is even if you only have few physical games... You'll have to get the disc version to be able to play them meanwhile its a no brainer you can obviously still play digital games on a disc console... All I'm saying is people will pay more for options question is how much more expensive will the disc PS5 be?

[Kurt Russell]

I tend to use my console occasionally for blu-ray films. I don't own many, but I'll still want the option... So I'll stump up the extra.

That said, I started this gen pretty much physical only, I ended it majority digital in terms of games.

[DeadManMMX]

So you can still buy physical disks that act as a DRM check while requiring you to download huge day one patches and updates. All while having to have the disk in the drive. Nahh it’s going down son.

[rainslacker]

I cant think of any SP game that I couldn't start without a patch this gen. If they exist, maybe take that up with the publisher instead of making sweeping generalizations to try and make an argument that doesnt reflect reality.

It's fine if you want to go all digital, but I really cant figure out why digital proponents seem hell bent on trying to make it so those that prefer physical wouldnt be able to have that choice. It really doesnt effect them in the least.

[DeadManMMX]

Your argument would be great if modern games were made to be finished when they go gold. Nowadays games go gold when there is still a lot of work being done right up
To launch and well after. Sure in most cases the game will be entirely playable but with whatever bugs and issues it had at the time the game was burned to disk. In some cases game
Breaking bugs.

[rainslacker]

So....what SP game have you brought this gen that wouldn't start, or was unplayable through to the end without an update?

I'm not saying they don't exist....maybe they do....but I can't think of one. Most patches are minor and aren't for fixing game breaking bugs. Those things do exist as well, however usually those game breaking bugs don't effect everyone, or they are not consistently a problem.

After I moved into my new house a few years ago, I didn't have home internet for almost 5 weeks. I played a lot of games during that time, because what else would I do as I didn't have cable either? Not a single one of them required a patch.

[LamerTamer]

Still at least the disc for DRM check is under my control, not Sony's. Online DRM requires an internet connection, discs do not. It is about freedom to play offline or without internet at all.

[Vanfernal]

I haven't bought a physical game or blu-ray in YEARS. I don't NEED a disc drive. Same as my PC. I don't have a disc drive in it cause I don't need it. So if I can buy a PS5 without a feature I won't use and potentially a cheaper price (or extra storage space) then all the better for me. Give the choice and let people buy whatever fits their needs.

[JackBNimble]

I buy digital as well, but with out a significant price reduction for the digital edition then I will still buy the disc based version.
You never know when you're buddy brings a movie or game over.
No reason to limit your options with out good insensitive.

[Vanfernal]

I agree. That's why I said a cheaper price or the same price with more storage would be push me to all digital. If the difference is something like $50 I might as well get the disc version.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

I’ve been all digital this gen and I’ll be all digital next gen. Like it or not an all digital future is coming. There’s just to many advantages to digital compared to physical in MY OPINION. Game sharing alone is a good enough reason for me to stay digital. Some people like having the box and all that and that’s cool cause I was once like that but now days I couldn’t careless about a box.

[sprinterboy]

Same dude, loved the bus back from town getting the gta map and poster out the case and reading the manual but these days I couldn't give too shits cause nothing ever comes with a disc based game apart from some digital pre order shit anyway.
Plus you can play midnight all pre installed and don't get tempted to sell the game lol, bought bloodborne twice on physical and finally got the digital now, so I actually save money rather than buy 2 physical copies when I regret trading in plus monthly store sales are insane and we support the devs and not the trade in places.

[JayRyu]

^^^It's the way of the future!

I agree with you. The tech is growing just for this reason. You think Sony invested heavily into a next gen SSD to maximize reading data off discs!?

[MonsterChef]

There used to be an advantage to owning a disc.. Not no more. Not when you have to download your game from the disc to the ssd... Your only getting draw backs as each time you want to change a game, you have to get up and change it manually. I never thought I would change to discless, but I would always have selling a game for nickels to GameStop only to want to play it again in the future. My digital library is vast this gen, and I'll be vast next gen as well.

[LamerTamer]

The problem with digital is that you have to rely on someone else's server to maintain your library. When they pull stuff you have no way of getting it back. Also with hardware failure/upgrade you would need to re-download thousands of gigs, that would take forever with no hardcopy. Next gen games are going to be HUGE and that would blow through data caps. Also not everyone has the most premium internet. Having the option for both is still much better. Digital would be great if it was like GOG where you actually own the stuff. With consoles the restrictive DRM ruins digital due to no ownership.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

I’m not concerned about plugs being pulled. It’s not a very common thing to do in this day and age. All of my digital games that I bought years ago still work just fine. Pulling the plug is more of a problem with online only games.

[GoodGuy09]

Nobody should imo but there are many people that prefer one or the other. Im curious to see both sales compared. The digital will ofc have the upper hand since it'll most likely be cheaper.

[sero33]

i have no need for the disc drive. mainly a pc gamer and thats mostly been digital for quite some time. i probably only got like 6 physical games for my ps4. everything else was digital but i kinda skipped the current gen apart from the few must have exclusives.

but why is this even up for discussion. just get the version you want. who cares what some rando on the internet thinks.

[Gaming4Life1981]

I mostly buy digital so the digital ps5 is what im buying and for the series x im getting the standard system.

[catlover316]

People are going to get what they want.

[Father__Merrin]

This article really means why you should not buy a PS5 digital they have only stuck the Xbox digital on just a cover up their true motives

[smashman98]

Seeing so many people on here stand by digital is very exciting and really shows how far the medium has come.

I will be buying physical but that is because my ps4 collection is physical. I do plan on purchasing more games digitally while saving physical for the games I really am excited for.