PS5’s Digital Edition Has Fans Extremely Worried
Last night’s Playstation 5 announcement showcased a digital download-only edition without a disk tray, and some fans were not happy.
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For many, this year has seemed like the end of times. Video games frequently serve as an escape from feelings of impending doom, but now, even the gaming community has been shook.
Last night’s Playstation 5 announcement showcased a digital download-only edition alongside their traditional console with a disk tray. This hit like the reckoning for physical collectors. It was as if the rapture had come, and they were not among the chosen.
The Last Generation of Physical Games
For many, collecting video games is akin to collecting books. A large library can become a display of their intellectual experiences, one they can look upon fondly as an assortment of mementos and easily share with friends, if they choose. With the introduction of a mainstream, digital download-only console in the Playstation 5, those game librarians (so to speak) fear their collecting days may soon draw to an end.
“As a 30+ years old lifelong gamer, my preference will always be physical media,” Redditor u/polochai325 said in a debate between the standard PS5 and the digital-only version. “There is always going to be a nostalgia/collection aspect in gaming. With that said… I cannot deny how much money I have saved by buying digital [games] instead of physical.”
They go on to speculate that the digital-only version is likely to be cheaper than the standard edition as well. They also add that they’ve played more games through digital download simply because it’s more convenient than ordering a physical copy or going out to find one in the store.
“This makes it even harder for me to justify the standard version (even if it is my preference as stated),” they conclude.
Other Redditors have countered with the PS5’s backwards compatibility, which they assert offers more value, as it would allow them to play older games while keeping up with new releases. However, that doesn’t change the fact that new games are likely to be cheaper and are overall more accessible via digital download. The standard PS5 may have some advantages over the digital-only version, but its place in the market moving forward is shaky at best.
The Sad Truth About Technological Innovation
Some physical collectors are trying to stay positive, believing that consoles with disk drives or some other form of reading physical mediums will never dissipate. While they may never fully vanish, it’s unlikely future iterations of consoles will maintain the ability to read physical hardware.
As with music, gaming is headed toward a cloud-based future. Google is already forging the path to cloud-based gaming with Stadia, and the abundance of digital media is only an indicator of the industry heading in that direction.
But also like with music, nostalgia is a powerful feeling. Video game collectors may see a rise in retro game shops in the next few years, similar to the resurgence of record stores we saw in the latter half of 2010. There will also likely be a market built around physical video game nostalgia, which we can already see with emulators, refurbished arcade cabinets, and so on.
The digital edition of the PS5 doesn’t spell the end times for physical game collectors. Rather, it indicates the direction in which technology is going, and opens new markets for collectors to explore.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/ps5s-digital-edition-physical-edition-collector-fans-worried/