Physical Video Games (and Why They Don't Really Matter)

Physical video game media has been a hot topic lately, and while I agree with the intent of the discussion, I don't think it matters as much as people want to suggest. While I mourn the bygone days of a SNES cartridge working 30 years into the future, the gaming industry has evolved in a way that does not operate in the same way as it did in years past.

For the past few years, physical games have mostly given way to increasingly digital sales and gaming hardware has shifted to match. There has been fairly vocal outcry with each step in that direction, but with very little long term consequence. Sony released a "Digital Edition" of the PlayStation 5 without an optical drive in 2020 as an option to save money and play exclusively downloaded games. When Nintendo released the Switch 2, they also started creating some physical cartridges as "Game-Key Cards" that don't have any game data, they're just a physical license to download and play the digital game.

Perhaps the most aggressive push toward digital was Sony's announcement that physical disc production will end in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles. If you release a new game on PlayStation in 2028 or beyond, digital is your ONLY option. That feels like a decisive loss for physical game supporters, and people are justifiably angry. I am certainly frustrated, but I'm less bothered than many of the most vocal critics for a few reasons.

First, game development and the "definition of done" to use a software engineering term have evolved. Back in the day if you bought a SNES cartridge or a PS2 disc, what came on the physical medium is exactly what you played on the console. Developers had to make absolutely certain that the game they shipped was entirely playable. Some games had updates released and new cartridges or discs were created, but there wasn't a way to retroactively update the contents after units shipped so it had to be right.

In the internet age, studios can be far more cavalier with the game as it ships. Nearly every game I've bought in the past 15 years or so has released with a day-1 patch and many subsequent updates over months and years. The game files as they exist on the physical medium are less relevant because they can easily be updated later. This means that physical games as we buy them today are much less complete and polished than the physical games of yesteryear.

Why does this factor into the irrelevance of physical games? Currently, if you insert a disc into an internet-connected PS4, you'll automatically download the latest version. What about in 10 years, 20 years, however long when Sony shuts down those update servers? You get the version as it exists on the disc, and that's often a far inferior version. The initial release of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night had a pretty severe bug around chests that made required items inaccessible. Many recent games have similar situations where subsequent patches and updates have resulted in a substantially better game.

When I hacked my PS4 and tried to install my game discs locally, I realized how problematic this was. Hacking a console forces you to permanently disconnect from update servers, much the way the experience would be if the servers were shut down. When all I had legally at my disposable was a frequently inferior v1.0 game, I realized how much of an issue that would be for physical games released in an era when developers are conditioned to rely on updates and patches after release. Sure, I could pirate an updated version of the game files, but that's illegal, and you're treading toward emulation territory at that point.

Besides the inability to update physical games, media degradation is a pretty big problem. Sure, if you take really good care of your games, they're often playable for many years. I have recently played Game Boy Advance games on my GBA SP, and they still work great. However, any physical media is likely to decay over time. Disc-based consoles like PlayStation and Xbox are far more susceptible to damage, since scratches on discs can make the game unplayable, and it is so difficult to keep discs in pristine condition.

There absolutely exist shops and services that can repair game hardware, but that's much more of a hobby/enthusiast niche than mainstream video game purchases. Some people would go out of their way to buy an original PlayStation and North American release of Metal Gear Solid. Personally, I'll just buy the Master Collection Vol.1 on Steam and play that way. I seem to be in the majority with that decision, too.

Now, I don't mean to completely pan people who want physical games to be available. I'm right there with you. We regularly check out games from the local library for the Nintendo Switch 2, which isn't possible if physical games go away completely. And sharing games with your friends, something that Sony once took a stab at Microsoft for, is only possible if you have physical media to exchange. Digital sharing options like Steam's family sharing are certainly better than having a game exclusively linked to a single account, but there are enough limitations and restrictions that it doesn't fully replicate the ability to lend a friend your copy of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

One prickly point about digital only games is the idea of licensing versus purchasing. Sony is in some hot water about their suggestion that buying a game shouldn't reasonably be considered owning it. Much of the gaming community takes the stance that "if buying a game isn't ownership, then piracy isn't theft" and I do completely understand the point. I hope that game storefronts begin to allow more options for true ownership like GOG, but I can't say I expect that to be the case. However, it is absolutely a point for physical games. When I buy a copy of Resident Evil 4 on disc, I don't expect the disc to suddenly stop working due to a licensing agreement, nor do I expect someone to come to my house and take it from me.

Obviously, I'm not encouraging the death of physical games, but I do think it's inevitable, and I don't think it matters quite as much as many people suggest right now. Nintendo will likely hold out for a few more generations at least, but Sony and Microsoft are really leaning into it. If PlayStation and Xbox can avoid getting gobbled up by the PC gaming space, they will absolutely tighten their focus to minimize cost and streamline production. I can't blame them, but I will miss the nostalgia of popping Kirby Air Ride into my GameCube and playing a few rounds of City Trial.