Physical vs. digital games: Which works best for you?

Storage space is a concern across all digital devices in today’s technological world. Staying on the cutting edge of game development means pushing high-resolution textures, ray-traced lighting and advanced physics engines, which means much larger storage sizes when downloading games in their digital format. Luckily, expanding internal storage on a current-generation console is an easy way to make room for these games, with a growing number of supported SSDs that enhance performance, decrease load times and provide smoother gameplay as well.  

The biggest difference between physical and digital gaming is that physical games tend to have the entire product pressed onto a disc, meaning only updates and additional content need to be downloaded. Physical gaming frees up a lot more space on your console’s internal drive, while digital gaming provides the convenience of not having to store or switch discs. 

Moving to an all-digital library relies on having a fast, stable internet connection – an option not available to everyone. Since physical games typically come loaded onto a disc or cartridge, connecting to the internet to download the game first is not needed.  

A disc can be inserted into the console and played right away without the need for an internet connection. Digital games require the internet to download, install and verify your game license and profile before allowing you to play. 

An often-overlooked aspect of physical versus digital game ownership is whether you truly own what you bought. Physical media like CDs, DVDs and games are everlasting and can be played forever, if you own the hardware to support them.  

Buying a digital game is technically buying a license to access that game for an indefinite period, and licenses can be revoked if the game is pulled from a marketplace. 

Digital games have several advantages over physical games, like the ability to download and play games from anywhere you have internet access, store all your games in one place, and connect to an ever-growing world of digital-exclusive titles. 

Every game console and platform have an extensive library of titles to download and access digitally. This allows you to not only quickly switch between installed games without getting off the couch to swap discs but also keeps all your owned games in a central library.  

If your digital library continues to grow past the console’s factory storage limit, both PS5® and Xbox® allow for easy external storage expansion with many compatible SSD options for each, such as the Crucial X10 Pro. With the increased read and write speeds of the SSD, your games will load faster and perform better. 

Most gamers know the struggle of trying to stuff yet another video game box onto a shelf overflowing with them. Buying digital allows you to look at the game’s box art in a digital frame on your console dashboard instead of needing to push past it any time you are trying to find something in your entertainment center. 

As the independent development scene continues to grow massively each year, digital-exclusive games are becoming more commonplace. Without the budget or publisher needed to produce and distribute physical copies, many developers opt to release their games only on digital storefronts. 

Physical discs and games will always (with some exceptions) work when inserted into their applicable hardware without needing an internet connection or additional downloads. Buying a physical copy ensures your game will keep working past the closure of a digital storefront or licensing issues that can cause a game to be removed digitally. 

Physical games allow you to hand them off to family or friends after you finish playing them. Digital games are tied to an online license and profile, restricting their ability to be shared or played by anyone except the console owner. 

Having a physical game disc means that it cannot only be shared with friends, but it can also be sold to aftermarket retailers to get a little money back in your pocket for the next big game release. Rinse and repeat. 

When it comes to choosing whether to purchase a physical or digital console game, it all boils down to your personal preferences, internet situation and thoughts on preservation of play. If storage size is a concern, go physical or expand your console storage with many of the available SSD expansion options. If you’re going all digital, maybe consider PC gaming, where digital gaming is king.  

Regardless of which format you choose, it’s important to remember that there are always options when gaming. The best choice will always be the one that enhances your experience and provides the entertainment you seek in gaming.