Is this the end for PlayStation as we know it? If we are to believe the industry whispers and recent analysis, the sales for next-generation consoles might be download only. If our predictions come true, then we are set to live in a world where the PlayStation 6 will be Sony’s first all-digital console… and that has a massive shift on how you buy (and keep) your games.
Consoles have advanced greatly, growing in complexity and cost. Companies like Sony and Microsoft have introduced some all-digital versions of their consoles in a move to try and reign in rising costs, albeit still not entirely affordable… So choosing a completely digital PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, for example – can save you some cash upfront. But when it comes to buying games, you can only purchase directly from official online stores, and they set the prices – so no cheap solutions from third parties or no possible discounts.
But the choice is also in the hands of the user, you can still opt for a console with a disc drive if you prefer physical media. I have a Sony PS5 with disc drives, yet even though I mostly buy my tiles digitally nowadays, I appreciate the option to pop in a disc whenever I feel like it.
Folks should probably just get used to this (no physical Xbox versions) across the market sooner rather than later. https://t.co/jKaxTteB36
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) June 23, 2024
I fear this liberty, at least in the PlayStation line is about to end. Games Industry Analyst Predicts Piscatella posted on X (formerly Twitter) last week an all-digital future is nigh, suggesting that PlayStation will continue its transition to one by the next console generation and “perhaps” by a subsequent Nintendo cycle as well. He wrote in his tweet, “folks should probably just get used to this (no physical Xbox versions) across the market sooner rather than later.”
Of course, this is an imaginative perspective. You can’t take it to heart until Sony confirms the PlayStation 6 (not to mention its media format), there is an apparent advantage in being able to describe what may otherwise turn out to be just some dotty concept. By comparison, Xbox has tentatively supported physical media for the time being at least – which should come as a relief to those who still like their collection in physical form.
Like many other console fans, I have mixed reactions to the concept of going digital all the way in the future. Being digital does allow for convenience and quick access, but as I touched upon earlier it removes the tangibility that comes with physical disk. You can trade in your games, and loan them to a friend along with buying deals on physical stores if you are lucky.
With the next generation of gaming consoles looming, one point remains clear: the industry is changing and it could lead to a future where there is no place for physical discs in gaming history. Is this change adding to the gaming thrill, or taking a beloved part of video game culture? Only time will tell.
