The pros and cons of the switch to digital games

While the gaming industry isn't all-digital yet, it's been heading in that direction for a while. Sony's recently announced plans to discontinue PlayStation discs in 2028 are the latest step in this shift. In the last several years, we've also seen the PS5 Pro require a separate purchase for a disc drive, the Xbox Series S lacking disc support and Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards that don't contain any actual data.

While digital releases have lots of advantages, physical media is still important. As gaming companies push us into their vision for the future, you should know what this entails—especially as the options for physical purchases become fewer. No matter which format you prefer, it's a shift you should be aware of.

This primarily applies to console gaming, since the PC ecosystem has been effectively digital-only for a long time. However, there are key differences between the two, as we'll see later.

Your library going digital comes with real perks. One of the most immediate is not having to switch discs or cartridges to play different titles. It's annoying to get up and swap the disc between your current single-player adventure and a multiplayer shooter you play with friends, for instance. And carrying cartridges around with your Switch 2 adds extra bulk to your suitcase or backpack. Similarly, a lack of physical media means your collection doesn't take up space on your shelf. There's also no chance of them being damaged or misplaced.

Digital games allow you to "gameshare," which means sharing your entire library with a friend. On Xbox and PlayStation, this involves each of you setting the other person's console to their "home system" so you can play what they've purchased using your own account. On Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, you can lend virtual game cards to family members in your Nintendo account instead.

The convenience of digital releases extends to the purchasing process. You can buy anything from the console's online store and start playing as soon as it downloads. There's no worry of your delivery being delayed or having to pay extra for shipping. While these are all positives, it's important to note that these advantages have been inherent to digital games for years and aren't amplified by the industry phasing out physical titles.

Removing physical copies from circulation eliminates secondhand markets. When you're done, you can sell your copy, lend it to a friend, or trade it in for store credit. Without physical releases, the entire business model of rental services like GameFly falls apart, as does renting from a library. Aside from gamesharing, we lose all these possibilities when digital is the only option. What's more, publishers and the companies that control online storefronts have full control of pricing. Physical offers far more flexibility since any retailer can sell them; you'll regularly see boxed games on sale for lower than digital prices (especially once they've been out for a while).

On Switch and Switch 2, digital downloads take up more storage space, since cartridges (excluding game-key cards) have the full game on them. This isn't relevant on PlayStation and Xbox; loading files from discs would be way too slow, so the discs instead act as a key to confirm you own the game. However, PS and Xbox discs are more convenient for people with slow internet speeds. Inserting a disc copies the data to your system's storage, and while most games have day-one updates with bug fixes, downloading those doesn't take as long as the full game.