It’s the 21st century, and even though we are not using flying vehicles or real hoverboards yet, we do have a whole lot of stuff that is now digitalized. Internet-filled satellites, computers on our wrist, and games that can be downloaded straight to your computer. But are digital games the future of the gaming industry, rather than physical videogames?
Given the apparent development of technologies involved in playing video games, there are disadvantages you don’t get when you’re physical videogames. And let’s look at the pros and cons of buying physical videogames and digital games.
Reasons to Buy Digital Games
- Enjoyment of Cross-Buying Option
For starters, Xbox Play Anywhere games like Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Cuphead, and Gears of War 4 can be purchased once and played via your PC and Xbox One. The same goes for PlayStation games like Super Meat Boy and Darkest Dungeon, which can be enjoyed on your PS Vita and PS4.
- They Are Incredibly Handy
You can use your console or PC to buy and install digital games without even leaving your room. Plus, many digital games can be “pre-loaded” once you have pre-ordered them, which means that the entire game will be downloaded and will be ready for the second to hit its release date. Using the Xbox and PlayStation mobile application, you can also buy digital games, and have them installed.
- You Will Never Lose Them
Physical videogames are good, but they can be stolen, lost, or ruined if you have pets or little kids. On the other hand, your digital games are securely saved in the cloud, and you can usually remove and reinstalled any PC or console linked to your Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, or Steam account.
Reasons to Buy Physical Games
- You Can Sell Them Back
Although you’re stuck with digital purchases forever, once you’re done with physical games, they can be sold back to stores like Best Buy, Amazon, G2A, and GameStop. You can search about G2A and other stores to know their policy of accepting games again. You’re not likely to get all your money back, but you’re going to get some cash to put on your board for the next big game.
- You Can Borrow And Lend Them
Would your friend like to see how amazing the new game Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty is? The handing over of your copy is a lot better than going to their place and downloading it from the web.
- Discounts Are More Frequent
Although both physical and digital games often go on sale, physical games usually give you the best discounts. Amazon Prime owners, including those with a Best Buy Gamers Club account, get 20 percent off new physical releases. Even physical offers you the option of purchasing pre-owned games, which are typically at least a few bucks cheaper than new copies.
- No Need to Worry about Speeds on the Internet
Downloading digital games is easy, but if you don’t have a decent internet connection, you could end up playing a single game all day long. In the meantime, actual games boot from the disk (or, in the case of the Nintendo Switch, you don’t have to update at all), and you should be able to get them on your console relatively easily, no matter how long your connection is.
There are plenty of reasons for choosing physical rather than digital, not only because of nostalgic or archival purposes. Yet if you’re able to only go with the comfort that modern life gives us, digitally buying games is a lap of luxury.