Are Physical Video Games Dying?

Are Physical Video Games Dying? | IntroSpecktive
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The PS5 Pro was recently revealed with a price of 700 USD and no disc drive, which begs the questions, is the age of physical media truly coming to an end? Comment rate and subscribe fore more!

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[@IntroSpecktive]

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[@FranXiT]

Sadly it will probably be 450$ at the least, with 500 being extremely possible, and even likely with these new absurd prices for the competition. As a consumer I of course hope for 400$, but, inflation adjusted, that's the exact same price as the Switch 1 in 2017. It's not likely, especially if they wanna make the price inflation proof. At the same time I really can't blame em: profits are profits. Still, a man can hope.

[@ggnicklu]

Actively daily on Twitter? Treat yourself better man... Don't do this to yourself

[@illdoittomorrow2368]

Why would you put those cartrigdes in your mouth!?

[@rocklobster5074]

Just don't ever take this long to upload again.

[@illdoittomorrow2368]

@@rocklobster5074 You're right. Take even longer.

[@SSJ_EWGF]

A $700 Wi-Fi 7 router that gives you slightly less pixelated background but with _no disk drive_ is absolutely diabolical

[@AD-eb5bo]

Bruh you are on every video talking about the PS5 pro

[@justinfabela4899]

​@AD-eb5bo he's committed bro. Respect the grind. 💯

[@avihaydemonsanimation1344]

And vertical stand. And it comes with 2tb with no games lol

[@coolguy13696]

​@@avihaydemonsanimation1344not even astro bot?

[@RobertVistal-jp2cw]

And kickstand

[@AdventureKnockout]

Something people tend to forget about physical media is gifts. Receiving a physical game as a gift is so much more memorable than a gift card or eshop code, especially when you’ve wanted it for so long. Same for coming home from GameStop and absorbing the manual on the way home, all memories that will be lost to an all digital future :(

[@rarbnif2332]

Fr

[@yigitcelik9006]

Well unless we allow them to.

[@freemaster9567]

A core memory of mine is gifting my younger sister Animal Crossing for the switch and it brought her to tears with how happy she was so I completely agree

[@mrshmuga9]

Manuals haven’t been a thing for a decade at least, so that ship has already sailed. Aside from cost, it was also probably done because games have better tutorials than before.

[@twiphe4375]

i really miss manuals. ive been buying a lot more PS2 games lately and just reading a bit through the manual before inserting the disc is an undescribable feeling.

[@frankgrimito5821]

Nah, never, I'll stop playing when the industry go with that SO STUPID move. *PHYSICAL FOREVER.*

[@icetea3595]

I absolutely agree, I won’t accept companies downgrading their consoles while trying to brainwash us into thinking it’s an improvement.

[@ElementShoota]

yes sir 🤙🏻

[@buray1404]

@@icetea3595just move on already bruh

[@Sweetestsadist]

​@@buray1404Enjoy the future where your entire library can be taken away in one cyber attack, disgruntled employee, or corporate decision that decides you don't meet their expectations. I

[@trainerbrendan969]

I mean, that’s the reality for PC’s now. Though I do think maybe that case is different.

[@Zach-490]

Yeah I will buy discs as long as I can. I still buy Blu Rays for movies. Physical media is king.

[@alexgrayisaligman]

Yes my friend keep physical alive

[@JoeLouis-hc7mm]

I think games will be all digital but movies should survive on disk . Games all updates and need internet. Movies dont need the internet to play . I have a 4k player .

[@Zach-490]

@JoeLouis-hc7mm If there is a market for either, theoretically they'll both be produced. Even if they become scarce.

[@JoeLouis-hc7mm]

@@Zach-490 yea true cause I'm all about physical media again.

[@Zach-490]

@@JoeLouis-hc7mm same here. The few big digital games I've bought I've thought about buying the discs for.

[@megametexe5129]

No physicals no sale. The day the Industry truly gives up on physical games is the day I become a retro gamer.

[@Mysticbladegod]

I already made the pivot into retro gaming. I can't believe how much better older games were. Don't plan on coming back.

[@peace1290]

​@@Mysticbladegod Exactly. If you want quality AAA titles, retro gaming is the best place for that. Quality AAA titles are far and few in-between, in this day and age.

[@keithflippers4429]

​@@Mysticbladegodyou say that

[@Stormlywing]

meaning we willing to not pay our devs their earning by cutting out the other parts that could make our game better like limited Nothing say we losing money like Cutting the people who owns most of the local area which making more earning than Digital copy as they just sponsor the game to their friends Which Digital will kill the game fully as no one can show them the game they should get earning in return their game wil die off in earning so the get less in returns as their game are locally sponsors which will not work anymore as we mostly block ads that the problem with sony Where likey we never going to earn money from people who can care less about ads and sponsors in return Sony lose more money

[@a18yearoldonyoutubeluigi]

A console being $700 (let alone around $1000 in my country) without a disc drive or stand is a dangerous precedent for the industry at large. Sony desperately needs serious competition again, cause since Xbox has all but given up, it’s allowed for them to get away with insane stuff like this. The days of “this is how you share games on PS4” are over as Sony has let greed consume them into an ultra anti-consumer shell of its former self.

[@erecto_patronum]

And gaming companies wonder why half of the gaming community prefers to play older titles like on the PS2 and Wii.

[@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache]

I have always said that Sony should really be looking at Nintendo as their biggest competition, not Microsoft.

[@erecto_patronum]

@@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache At least Nintendo consoles always had a much cheaper revision even for newer consoles and their older games could be played in some way.

[@justinfabela4899]

So I honestly just play Nintendo games (and only a few at that) and I'm wondering, how exactly does the PS5 compete with the PC market? Is it cause PCs are still way more expensive that Sony feels they can charge such a high amount?

[@erecto_patronum]

@@justinfabela4899 You can buy a pre-built PC or PC parts for just 200$ more than Sony's thousand dollars console (I live in Canada so this scam cost 1000$)

[@yoshibrothers9982]

As someone who collects physical video games new and retro as a hobby, I'm defiant on my stance that physical media is only "dying" on the grounds that these massive companies want to push digital to save a quick buck on manufacturing costs then pocket everything they can to cut out the middle men they distribute to. It's not about building on a trend more than it is about getting more profits for themselves.

[@cosmicspacething3474]

This

[@fujinshu]

And they can then take away your digital games (The Crew) or force you to keep rebuying games to keep your copy.

[@princestarfy4098]

Physical games aren’t dead, the PS5 pro is. Fun fact the majority of gamers are still buying physical media for AAA games. These companies count DLC and digital only games in their comparison statistics.

[@TheRealTact]

Yeah seriously only clowns are buying this console, atp just buy a pc.

[@SussyBaka_irl]

Exactly, digital statistics include microtransaction purchases & free downloads, as "digital purchases" on a broad scale, in-order to distort these "statistics" in-order a heavily biased & unreliable number that isn't true.

[@Timi7272]

On playstation and Nintendo Switch. I doubt on PC and Xbox. But still an interesting detail that your telling, I didn't know that.

[@squiddu]

​@user-py8oj5yv4m whatever alol means, I do buy a lot of digital, but I still like physical, especially for older games. don't kid yourself.

[@Otin]

@user-py8oj5yv4m idk about you many but everyone i know buys physical games only (excluding gamepass), average person will rather walk into local game store and buy a game rather than download (though Australian internet being terrible may contribute to that)

[@zacharymccoy7091]

Nintendo was watching that PS5 pro reveal knowing that they're going to make bank on their next underpowered tablet. At least they always have good exclusives coming.

[@pplord3170]

Bro I’m just hoping the Switch successor can have PS4 strength, but that’s asking to much for a company that is a decade behind in terms of specs

[@TheGameAnarchist]

​@@pplord3170 Tbf, the switch wasn't that outdated when it came out. They've just been selling it for 7 years at this point

[@The_Trident_Master]

@@pplord3170it will

[@WesGucci]

An empty shelf HATES to see me coming becaue I'll never stop buying physical games!!

[@Stormlywing]

Think of your store being empty like your local game store meaning if every game gone Digital sadly i can't see Sony earning more than Microsoft would as their users in return Xbox will win with sony if they did that

[@anamelessyoutuber1462]

If this happens, I'll never feel happy.

[@SSJ_EWGF]

This obsession with graphics above actually providing fun games actually scratch that, just _ any games in general_ is actually dooming this industry man holy shit, we are cooked... AND ITS $700 TOO! WITH NO DISK DRIVE

[@LEGONERD06]

Also with graphics we have reached the point where theres not much room left for improvement.

[@LJ_973]

This gives “collectors anxiety” a whole new meaning

[@nerdtuga9180]

It's not a death, it's an attempted murder. Companies hate physical media and will stop at nothing to shut it down. And while it's been somewhat successful with movies, TV and music, it's way harder to do with videogames. A lot of videogames throughout history only work wth specific hardware and a lot of games nowadays take up a lot of space. Plus physical media is way more consumer friendly since you can get it discounted or used, you can lend it or sell it. No matter how many incentives companies like Sony try to push unto consumers to switch to digital, people know better.

[@nerdtuga9180]

In fact, I'd say that's one of the reasons the switch is doing so well, Most of the major games have physical editions and the entire game (excluding updates of course) is almost always inside one cart.

[@fujinshu]

@@nerdtuga9180 And even sometimes there are reprints of games that have all the updates on disc or cart (Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition has the 2.1 update on disc, as well as the Phantom Liberty DLC on that same disc if you buy it for Xbox).

[@ragnaricstudios5888]

What doesn’t help is Steam makes it so easy to replace your device if anything bad happens, and you don’t need to upgrade consoles, so besides Nintendo, I’m set for life with gaming, PC gaming has been the most fun I’ve had with gaming

[@fujinshu]

If the future PlayStation go digital-only, I'm switching over to PC and whatever other consoles still have physical media (whatever it might be, as long as I can archive and resell it).

[@ragnaricstudios5888]

@@fujinshulike I said, Nintendo is probably gonna stay phsyical

[@Tinybutfearless]

An introspective upload my day is brighter

[@heavydonkeykong5190]

Seven hundred dollars on its own is already way too much for me, especially since I already have a PS5. These price jumps are scary.

[@Tarkus_H]

"But, but, but the pixels are a bit sharper in the far distant background!"

[@Rainbro359]

I can't wait to be here in 20 years time watching the exact same hype cycle about how [future console] is going to support 32K resolution (its actually only upscaled 8K, and the only game that supports that anyway is Call of Duty)

[@Sweetestsadist]

​@@Rainbro359I can't wait to see people crying because their entire library got wiped out over a downed server or keyboard stroke.

[@wplays4271]

I can guarantee you that it’s done so Sony can have a monopoly. With a digital only console, everyone HAS to buy their games from the PS Store, Sony will get a cut from every game bought, and will earn every single cent from their exclusives (since they don’t need to give a part to the developers, since they ARE the developer) They will have no costs like printing discs, shipping games to stores and the stores getting a cut from the profit. Not to mention they completely eliminate used games, so if people want to play a friend’s game? Too bad, buy your own copy. Aside from being a greedy choice, I think this might be the nail in the coffin for physical games stores as well. Used games is where those stores make the most profit as well. And though the hardcore audience might still come for older games, casual audiences will have no reason to go to game stores anymore. It’s a dirty practice to get a monopoly, where the only games available, are the ones they can make a profit off

[@boisvert45]

After tax the base pro is over 1k here in Canada, not even considering the extra like 100 dollars the add on will be

[@iainwoodland]

The pro is doa

[@Stormlywing]

@@iainwoodland of cause is it No local games can lead to more problems as most users are waking up from PS5 and going to gym meaning if they want them back they need to make it 10x faster than the last gen PS5 or it just there to fix PS4 bugs found when playing them on new hardware

[@spike5609]

3:39 I really hope that last part about Nintendo doesn't age like milk....

[@papyrussemi2848]

We all know Nintendo is gonna place emphasis on the Switch 2's card slot.

[@ultimatebreak827]

and it'll only be like $400 too lol.

[@MashupProductions22]

Sony: we listened and added a disc drive Us: thank you Sony: for an extra hundreds Us: what the actual

[@Blackheartzero]

My cousin didn't see the deal with me preferring physical over digital. Then his digital copy of Smash Ultimate crapped out and his system told him that he needed to rebuy the game to play it. So now I suppose he gets it.

[@Sweetestsadist]

I'm an anti-digital guy myself; but that scenario can happen with physical media, too. In fact, it's a bigger risk in that case, because with digital, you have a receipt to prove to the company you paid for it so you can appeal to them toput it back on tour account. If your disc breaks, you're SOL.

[@cosmicspacething3474]

@@Sweetestsadist I mean, there’s such a thing as physical receipts

[@Sweetestsadist]

@@cosmicspacething3474 That only works if it was only recently bought. I doubt a store will accept something two months later as any damages are likely because of the user. If a digital file stops working, the fault is clearly with the company so in most cases they would be obligated to fix it.

[@ultimatebreak827]

@@cosmicspacething3474 Yea but with digital games those receipts don't expire. If you buy a game from Wal-Mart it'll likely expire after it breaks

[@deshkabhaloo]

@@Sweetestsadistyep totally! My Mafia 3 disk doesn’t read anymore (and I don’t know why)..: so guess who’s out of a game? Me. Had to get a digital version just to keep my library complete.

[@chubbz5873]

Sony recently found a way to block users from physical games even without taking it away straight from your house. The disc add-on for both the PS5 slim and Pro needs internet connection 24/7, and if the wifi gets disconnected for a few seconds, then the disc drive can't be used until a stable connection is brought back.

[@Zatou_]

IT REQUIRES AN INTERNET CONNECTION???? Now all sony needs to do is tell the system not to read the disc and give an error message saying something about the game being blocked

[@fujinshu]

I thought it only required an internet connection for initial setup and Blu-Ray license registration on their end, and that it was available offline after that? Still a bit sucky, but at least they save money on Blu-Ray licensing.

[@_JadeDragon_]

I’ve yet to see literally anyone other than Sony themselves defend the PS5 Pro. Rather than getting ahead of Nintendo they shot them selves in the foot

[@Holy_Crusad3r]

I’ve come across a few defending it because “Omg you need the pro for GTA6!” I didn’t even care much about GTA5 and all 5 remasters they kept pushing out. I can guarantee Skyrim and GTA 5 will have “pro” editions that have just more trees and people. Lol

[@fujinshu]

The only ones defending the existence of the PS5 Pro are those who were given access to it. Key word: Existence. Not the price, they didn't comment on the price.

[@supergamerkarter317]

Both formats have their ups and downs, it's easier and more convinient to play digital games, since once you have it downloaded, you can just access it directly without having to switch games, it's also better for indie games that can't afford to distribute their games physically, but physical games have the guarantee that you own the product that you bought and that you can do whatever you want with it, without running the risk of it being taken away from you.

[@randombiasedrevert]

We need physical. Once they take that away from us it’s over. Corporate greed already made it so you have to pay to even be able to play online lol imagine what they’re going to do once nobody has physical games anymore.

[@fujinshu]

What indie stores need to do is to sell on DRM-free platforms such as GOG, or even found their own distribution platform that facilitates buying and selling on a second-hand market.

[@SuperZaiyan9]

Y’all remember what happened to MVC2 on ps3/360? It took over a decade for it to come back. Do you want that situation to be a possibility with EVERY game ?

[@Sweetestsadist]

That came out then? I guess I didn't notice because I was still playing my Dreamcast copy... which I still have and can play anytime without an online connection, terms of service contracts, or monthly fees. Hopefully, this statement will wake a few people up.

[@richieosborn2639]

Nintendo is our last hope for this one.

[@Holy_Crusad3r]

If the Super Switch is backwards compatible with Switch games and upscales them with better performance, no question it will be my next console I buy and will only buy at the rate Sony is going.

[@SSJ_EWGF]

Nintendo can do the _funniest fkn thing_ rn....

[@cosmicspacething3474]

What?

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

​@@cosmicspacething3474announce the switch 2 model at 449 us

[@WinspearUltima]

Physical media will never die, Sony wants to shill digital all they like but they will never phase out physical media.

[@Stormlywing]

Think if your looking in your game store and Sony as a list of old games like they are preowned but turns out to be full price going smaller and smaller think if is reach 0 games for Sony PS5 pro your find out why having no local sponsors would harm you more than disc base games

[@WinspearUltima]

@@Stormlywing yeah you just think if that’s the case when it isn’t, you do realise it’s going to be bigger and people will buy them because there’s demand for physical media

[@Cpg443]

You cooked on Twitter yesterday it was beautiful

[@cosmicspacething3474]

I avoid that site like the plague, what did he cook?

[@OhBeeBumbles]

I think removing an option from gamers is absolute insanity. As well we bearly see any of these store's have any sales like Steam like we get the Winter, Fall, and Summer sale and gets loads of games but we have the option to refund them but on other storefronts nope they give us a sale once in a blue moon and sometimes the deals aren't that good either, physical media should always be an option

[@mrshmuga9]

This isn’t as true as people purport it. They just don’t pay attention. If you bother to use price-tracking sites, you can see how often (and when) individual games go on sale. But also, people see a physical sale and compare it to digital “being full price”, but that’s because physical/digital almost never time their sales at the same point. Retailers aren’t always coordinated either. So when you see physical on sale one month, it’s not because digital is “never” on sale, it’s because they already had a sale or have a sale coming up after. It’s disingenuous. Not to mention, if you’re talking about AAA games… Steam isn’t exactly having 90% sale on a recent AAA game where it’s only 10% on consoles either. The amount discounted is consistent across platforms. You might get maybe a 5% difference but that could also be because they don’t expect to sell that many copies on PC anyway. The only time you see “crazy deals” on Steam, is because it’s an indie game that’s trying to stand out (during a sales period) or the game is 10+ years old. Or the game is hot garbage and sold like hot garbage, to which you wouldn’t want it anyway. As someone that follows sales across platforms and checks their history to see if it’s a rare deal or common deal, people’s ideas are 15+ years out of date and assume PC is the only one with good deals is wrong. Ya, that mindset was accurate… for like the PS3 when digital on consoles was new, but that hasn’t been the case for a while.

[@JoSephGD]

No. Especially for companies like Nintendo, it is not worth it to sideline the option that is easier to gift for children. Considering data caps... exist, especially in lower income families and locations, I can't see forcing an all-digital lifestyle will go well for the larger gaming crowd.

[@KevRMA2000]

I actually like to own my games. With a disc its actually yours. With a digital version you know a developer can take it out if they want to. You only get access to it. Thats why I always prefer physical copies of games

[@Grumpyocelot]

Much love intro! Always happy to see you posting!

[@Nic5Cyprus]

Nintendo is going to keep physical media alive for as long as possible but the way things are heading next generation I wouldn't be surprised if Sony and Xbox (if there's going to be an Xbox) drop the disk drive entirely. Disks are old and outdated by this point and with how large games are becoming it's not physically possible to have the entire game on them. I remember when the physical version of Call of Duty only had a few hundred megabytes on the disk forcing you to basically download the whole thing with the disk basically acting as a key

[@MegaDarkness5000]

Xbox said they are working on a next gen console. Out of Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony. Sony is the one I see in the most danger of collapse.

[@LloydTheZephyrian]

Could go with SD Card technology to enhance physical releases.

[@Sweetestsadist]

That's why multiple disc games exist. It only costs the company a couple of cents per disc; I doubt it would cost much more than what they put into online maintenance, if not less. The only difference is the consumer can keep their games with physical media and not have to worry about having them get taken because the company doesn't want to support it anymore.

[@mrshmuga9]

@@SweetestsadistYeah some games already do this like FF7 Rebirth, and discs are so big that it only needs two of them.

[@mrshmuga9]

The size of games is precisely why discs are a _better_ option for customers. If your internet isn’t that fast, or has a data cap, or has an inconsistent connection, then digital is horrendous or outright unfeasible. You’d be cutting out a ton of markets by going digital-only. Which is ironic because they’re always trying to break into new markets. Instead they’d be cutting out more, and I don’t know the trade-off would be worth it. Especially because it doesn’t consider that people won’t be able to use it or will go to your competition (PC) instead. Customers are not guaranteed for life.

[@mxm8029]

Hell nah we stay buying discs out here. Cause actually OWNING your stuff is important

[@TheKeithvidz]

Never in my heart - ordered 2 blu rays, stellar blade & astro bot this year.

[@mox704shop2]

PS5 Pro= Krusty Krab 2

[@JonSmith-hk1bq]

Feels less like they're dying so much as being actively smothered by the manufacturers. Physical media might be down, but not nearly enough to warrant this.

[@SSJ_EWGF]

Sony really got all of us out here at 11am on a Tuesday Morning, hyped up their overpriced console, threw around a bunch of tech bro terms, gassed up their footage as proof of a huge upgrade to the base PS5, _and then proceeded to show almost just cinematic cutscenes of already released games..._

[@ConfettiBerg]

Let me put it this way... There's a distinct euphoria that you get from going to the store, giving the (hopefully) cool employee money and chatting about if they've played it or what games they are into, and seeing them put that crisp, plastic wrapped, case in the bag.... Especially when it comes to preorder goodies... That you will never get from digital...

[@BlossomField91]

I loved video game shops as a kid in the 1990s and 2000s, I get a weird giddy feeling when I see old pics of shelves packed with N64 (especially N64 games as that's the console I had before PS2), PS1, and Gameboy Color games. That being said, I've only bought games in person maybe twice in the past 18 years. It's long been cheaper and more convenient to just buy/pre-order games online.

[@chocogamer5398]

I don’t think physical discs will die personally because of your point on Nintendo, they still do physical games and they sell well so others will look at that and continue to do the same.

[@supermonye1]

Very introspective video

[@SSJ_EWGF]

Yeye you're actually completely right here Intro, the most scariest thing about all this isn't even just the price, it's the fact that Sony even considered shipping out a console in the first place that doesn't have a disk drive, much less it _being the only option for this model in the first place._ There is no 'PS5 Pro,' then 'PS5 Pro Digital Version,' the discless version is now the _standard_ and the disc drive is a whole another purchase. And the worst part? They will only go lower from here. A deliberate plan by Sony so that they can gauge whether or not they can fully go in on the All digital forefront next generation. And to be honest, I won't even be surprised if in 2027 and above we're gain consoles from both Playstation and Xbox that don't even support physical media at all. Game preservation everyone, it is a battle that is becoming more and more apperently to each of us and is one that we are unfortunately losing cuz companies just want a little more extra money from our wallets.

[@fujinshu]

They don't even want a little more money. They want to lock us in and force us to buy digital games, and rebuy them to keep our games. And the ones who will suffer won't be us, because we'll be out before they can do that. No, the real victims will be the normies that buy FPS and sports games, some of whom will get hooked on those games and happily give in to ongoing purchases if it means satiating their addiction.

[@hterramae]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention that Sony literally deleted Concord from people's consoles Not only made unavailable from purchase, but making so the console erases the game itself, and having a precedent for Sony doing that is terrifying

[@moodlampActual]

Anti piracy console era has begun

[@Terminal_Apotos]

When PlayStation and Nintendo (Xbox too I guess) stop making Physical Games and Consoles with Disc Drives is the day I move to PC or stop gaming altogether.

[@thumbsofury1257]

I think Physical media should still be around because with digital they can just remove whenever they want.

[@TheSpeedfoever]

No its not dead next question! Also welcome back man! Missed you!

[@whatdoievenputhere11]

If 10 million people use discs I am one of them. If a million people use discs I am one of them. If only ten people use discs, I am one of them. If only one person uses discs, then that is me. If nobody uses discs, then I am dead. If the world is against discs, then I am against the world.

[@davidordaz5251]

Same here

[@plows2940]

The decline of physical media in gaming is largely due to the deliberate actions of corporations within the industry. They are actively phasing out physical options and making them less convenient, pushing towards a digital-only future. The motivation is clear: digital games are cheaper to produce and distribute, though those savings are rarely passed on to consumers. More importantly, for console manufacturers, this shift offers unprecedented control over game distribution. Unlike open platforms like PC, which are already mostly digital, consoles operate within closed ecosystems, limiting consumers to a single storefront unless they purchase physical copies. Because of this, elimination of physical media not only strips players of true ownership of their purchases-including the ability to resell or lend games-but also stifles competition. It wipes out third-party retailers and kills the second-hand market. Ultimately, the disappearance of physical games on consoles would mean losing ownership rights and being locked into whatever price the platform holder sets, with no opportunity to find cheaper alternatives or recoup any value through resale. It also makes it impossible to legally acquire games that are delisted/out of print as there will be no second hand market or ability to transfer ownership of a digital game after it is purchased.

[@runningoncylinders3829]

Physical you can have on your drawer after service finishes. If a digital only game is completed it’s going to go poof, and you might as well make room for something else on the system memory. It’s always going to have an audience especially with collectors and preservation. Stores will carry vinyls and CDs too when streaming music has been perfectly ordinary for years. People can recognize something trying to cheap out and hedge against it especially when the leap isn’t even a full console generation.

[@SuperNintendoGameboy]

Nintendo's just gonna go on stage, say "$349" and nothing else. That's their Switch 2 conference

[@GenerationZ313]

Knowing how Nintendo has been in the last several console generations, I find that unlikely, though it would be really nice if they did. I can see them presenting a Nintendo Switch successor on par with the PS4 Pro in terms of pricing and power, and everyone is going to be making an endless amount of meme about how Nintendo has a better Pro system than Sony.

[@ricardowilliams3765]

Nintendo actually respects physical games and the ps5 pro announcement shows that Sony and Microsoft (microsoft did it earlier to a lesser extent) are starting to move away from physicals. remember to try to support physical releases so sony and microsoft can't ignore the sales.

[@bob-km4uq]

I honestly wouldn't care that much about digital only becoming the standard if it would mean that downloading a game meant the game data was on your hardware independently of the status of your account or the distribution of the game.

[@cosmicspacething3474]

Well we all know that’s not the path these guys are taking

[@ShiningStar5022]

I feel like even Nintendo will eventually start making digital only products, kinda like how it took until the Switch era to have paid online.

[@mrshmuga9]

One possible hope, is that they didn’t want to go above “$699” for say, “$749” or something like that, and since they have a disc option anyway, that’s how they cut down costs without selling at a loss. That’s my hope… but also, they at least offer a disc option. If you buy a digital Xbox and want to start collecting physical, you’re screwed. There is no disc add-on, you just have to buy a whole new Xbox entirely.

[@matthewmagnani2915]

Tragically, many gaming corporations seem to think so.

[@Holy_Crusad3r]

I love physical. The day gaming goes straight digital is the day I find a different hobby. I do have digital games because either they released the physical a year later or they never released one at all, like BG3 was digital then they decided to make a physical which Larian Studios wasn’t going to do until how much reception and love the game got.

[@HighLifeProds17]

Buying (quote-unquote) a digital game is a glorified Indefinite rental (distributors can decide when the license for that rental runs out and will be forever revoked, officially speaking). On the other hand, a physical game can be broken and will eventually be degraded/destroyed. Many physical copies nowadays also require the internet to properly access and play, too. To me, physical is more secure, but only barely so.

[@rajangkong3254]

I'm more surprised that the PS5 Pro is coming with a game pad with the console

[@Your_LocalWizard]

Forget Sony conpeting with the Switch, at this point, this console's gonna be lucky to outsell the WiiU

[@jaykemon]

Can't wait to see more new videos!!!

[@AshkarBehek0]

I don't personally believe that digital only games means the death of ownership and preservation. Video games as a service, however, definitely does and slowly getting us used to disc less consoles and digital only releases that take up sooo much storage space probably takes a part at getting us to accept video games as a service. You don't download your games on your console's disc drive anymore. You get it streamed by servers hosted by companies that can add and take away games as they see fit. This also means you can no longer extract the game from your console's disc to preserve it since it's not there. THAT will hit a huge blow on ownership and preservation. Preserving an old game that was only ever released as a service will be a matter of hacking the company's APIs which would essentially amount to creating and using the same kind of tools that would also be useful to malicious hackers that wants credit card info and stuff.

[@desh206]

I don't think so,having a physical version is important in the case if a digital only console stop's working

[@leonheart4464]

Damn no views, we fell off 😔

[@glitchking2801]

The fact that the ps5 pro looks even more like a Wi-Fi router

[@zac2260]

Well, new gen has no attachment to physical copy like the old gamers. It's bound to happen. They won't lose too much, since gaming is on the process to entering new era, digital era.

[@Destiny_sm]

No it’s not. Sony is just doing a really stupid design decision rn. Companies can be a bit greedy but Sony is just taking it a step too far and I doubt other companies would pull shit like this, even if they are greedy.

[@mrshmuga9]

I’m not so sure this digital future is coming as soon as people profess. These companies are always trying to break into new markets. Yet, a lot of countries (including the US) have terrible internet connections or data caps. Digital-only cuts them out. I’m not sure if the profit from digital would exceed that loss. But also, it presumes you’ll always keep your current audience. That’s never a guarantee. So how many more do you lose not just from internet issues, but a lack of interest because they think it’s better worth it to switch to PC if that happens? It’s a huge risk. Plus… Sony is offering a disc drive (and started with the digital-only Slim consoles). Xbox doesn’t even offer that. If you want to change over to discs, you have to buy an entirely new Xbox. I’m hoping that this decision for the Pro is because they didn’t want to go over $700 because they felt $699 was the highest they could push without going over, but while also not selling it at a loss.

[@gamergirl2236]

I always prefer to own physical copies. It’s always cool to collect physical games, and inserting the disc/cartridge into the console is always exciting.

[@cameronjamessmith9141]

The physical disc media is slowly dying out but I don't think it will go away anytime soon. Many people buy and collect physical games for a number of reasons. It's consumer friendly, it's simple and you always have it with you so you don't need to worry about losing the game if your account gets hacked.

[@DanteCrowlley]

Only if your a Pony, everyone else still demands physical games

[@nathanielvaughn6728]

The only way we're avoiding a disc-less future is if the companies involved receive persistent and massive backlash when they don't have disc drives.

[@StickMaster500]

I have no idea what Sony was smoking when they decided to make it nearly $1000 to buy everything for the PS5 Pro

[@RougeMephilesClone]

No, but Sony's (and Microsoft's) 9th generation consoles just might. Nintendo's next console undercutting every other system's price right now would be so deserved.

[@fujinshu]

You mean 10th generation? This is currently the 9th generation of consoles.

[@danielgrezda3339]

People have said "switch 2 will have a digital only edition!" And that's massive bs because Japan still predominantly buys physical. Sony abandoned Japan so they don't care about disks but Nintendo will hang on for the next console and the one after that at least.

[@Mysticbladegod]

Digital games are acceptable somewhat with PC gaming. But for consoles it is completely unacceptable. If a console does not play physical media, I will not purchase it.

[@HDGamerofficial]

As an owner of a Digital PS5, I’m a physical game collector 😂 for all of my Nintendo consoles that is. Having the convenience of digital is great, but nothing beats holding a new game in your hand and seeing it as part of the collection

[@franciscop.garcia9931]

The 90's Sony: decided to make their own consle when Nintendo refuse the idea of moving to disk. Now SONY: what's a Disk?

[@flynamu1048]

Physical media being doomed, nah the pro is doomed 😅 But the future is scary for physical games 💀

[@Holoflux]

I am so glad i was able to get my hands on a Slim with disc drive for 400€ earlier this year instead of waiting for the Pro I'm not paying close to 900€ for this, i might as well build myself a new spec PC for that money

[@ultra5232]

I remember reading about how they will no longer support physical media in the future in the insomnia leak. Something about no longer physical for ps6 or ps7 can’t remember

[@LuisPerez-5]

1:42 you say this like there aren't sales on digital games all the time.

[@NotLaqin]

Crazy how removing the disc neither lowers the price of the console nor the games.

[@MomentumSonic]

I think sony gonna support physical media on the ps5 til the end of its lifespan but them only marketing the digital version of a ps5 pro with no discounted disc version like the other models it just telling the ps6 is likely not gonna support physical media which in that case, thanks sony for saving me from not spending the likely $699-$799 price tag that console will come with

[@r-dragon2538]

I think the only reason people forget to mention Nintendo in all of the gaming chaos is because they camouflage with their piles of money they make in profit

[@Kriskendawz]

Honestly having the Xbox series s really makes me miss having a disc drive (luckily I have a switch). It’s sometimes hard to play old games because they aren’t on the shop any more and if it was physical I could just buy the disc

[@Korudo]

Other than Nintendo, AAA console games peaked in the PS3/Xbox 360 era in terms of innovation and value. I have a Switch, a gaming PC, and a Steam Deck. I didn’t get a PS5 or Xbox Series console for a simple reason: diminishing returns and not enough value for the price

[@shauncameron8390]

Agreed on the statement AAA console gaming peaked in the 7th generation.

[@elioridacow]

I was afraid something like this would happen

[@LotteYansson]

By the way, did you know you if you get permanently banned, they take away your paid for digital games?

[@pplord3170]

I prefer physical copies since I OWN it and it can’t be controlled remotely

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

Im not allowing physical games to die

[@Hyper_Kong]

We should all save and preserve physical media! 🙏

[@pkmasterjt4899]

800 to be able to play with disks WITHOUT A DISPLAY STAND STILL is appalling

[@Octav2000]

I noticed most people have been buying the disc ps5 so there might be hope still!

[@TheDerpyDolphin]

Physical forever. Might as well pirate the game if you are going to get it digitally, because digital buying isn’t really owning

[@RefreshingMirage]

I don’t think physical games are dying, but they’re for sure on the decline