how do you feel about an all digital console?

[ZinnLav]

The biggest advantage for digital in my opinion is they don't take up a lot of space.

They take up console storage space :v
Though I suppose physical discs are just installation discs these days, my 1TB Xbox One has like 5/6 games on it and that's all it can fit

 

[prog rocker]

They take up console storage space :v
Though I suppose physical discs are just installation discs these days, my 1TB Xbox One has like 5/6 games on it and that's all it can fit

Well, games are bigger now.

Ultra Fighter IV: Around 10 GB
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition: 35 GB

 

[TeaWest]

They take up console storage space :v
Though I suppose physical discs are just installation discs these days, my 1TB Xbox One has like 5/6 games on it and that's all it can fit

Yeah, physical games take up storage space too. Some of the glaring examples are like RDR II which had a 100 gig download. You can also get external hard drives that are pretty inoffensive space wise.

 

[prog rocker]

Yeah, physical games take up storage space too. Some of the glaring examples are like RDR II which had a 100 gig download. You can also get external hard drives that are pretty inoffensive space wise.

Are you kidding me???? With the kind of Internet I have it would take me like a whole month downloading it, and that's not getting into the fights I would have with my parents. In fact, I don't think I'm allowed to download anything bigger than 6 GB after the arguments I had with my parents last time I downloaded something.

 

[Caprizant]

I'm fine with digital consoles as long as the "purchase to own" model doesn't go away. I want to be able to play the games I loved decades down the line, and to be able to go back to old save files to see where I was & what I was like at the time. An all-subscription model would make that nearly impossible.

But aside from subscription vs. pay-to-own, I think digital consoles are great! As someone who's really interested in game preservation, digital games are good. In many ways a digital game is easier to preserve than a physical one; you can easily store it on multiple devices, rather than just hoping to stall out the decay of the cartridge or disc indefinitely (or using other, more complicated means to preserve it digitally).

I've gone all-digital for my Switch, and I have an Xbox Series S. So far, it's worked out fine. My internet is awful, so it can take a long time to download a game; but honestly? When you buy a physical game, you either have to go to the store or wait for delivery anyway, which takes just as much time or more.

I do miss physical cartridges and cases though. I really like collecting those. I might go back to all-physical for the next Nintendo console, just for a change of pace.

 

[RetroPokeFan]

I'm more of a physical collector since I think it's just nice to have an actual copy of the game to fit nice and snugly onto your shelf.

Only time I've really bought a game digitally was Worms WMD on the Switch which did have a physical release but it was a limited one.

 

[Puddle]

I don't like the idea of a digital-only console, and I would never buy one. It feels as if tech companies are trying to gradually stamp out the second-hand market, and make it so that people can't give, lend or share games with their friends.

They've found a way to sell people products but keep control over how those products are used, which is great for companies but bad for consumers. In a digital-only world, it would be impossible to access old games unless they've been ported to a new console that still has an active online store. This means that companies can keep monetising their old products over and over again.

Digital is fine as an option for people who prefer it, but it should never be the only option.

Sorry to be a party pooper. I get a bit irate about capitalism and anti-consumer practices.