The digital versus physical preference when it comes to video games is a constant debate, but I'm curious what everyone here leans towards.

I went with digital a while back and have pretty much never looked back. It's just far more convenient for me on every level to have my games digital, and when I had a PS5 with a disc drive, I used it for like 2 games and nothing else, so when I got a new PS5, I went with the digital edition.

I love the idea of having physical games, but in reality, it's just easier for me not to. That said, there are some things that I love having physical copies of, but those are either sentimental, rare, or a mix of both.

So, what do you prefer? Let me know!

Both.

I am pretty much entirely digital these days. I understand why people prefer physical ownership, but our small house makes it pretty impractical to find space for a bunch of games. I save that for books and Funko pops lol.

Digital for what I want to keep forever, physical for things I might be inclined to sell. All my Mario and Zelda is digital because I keep replaying these games.

When I got back into gaming in 2020, the first few games I got were physical. I had no idea digital was even an option. When I realized that, I went digital and didn't look back. I find it to be more convenient. The PlayStation Store is right there on the console. Plus I can swap between games without having to change discs.

I hardly have enough room for my Blu-rays (the only physical media I still collect), so I don't need to try to find storage space for a bunch of video games too.

2 hours ago, Amanda Kay Oaks said:

I am pretty much entirely digital these days. I understand why people prefer physical ownership, but our small house makes it pretty impractical to find space for a bunch of games. I save that for books and Funko pops lol.

I'm the same way. I've cut down my comics collection considerably over the years for the same reasons. I need all the space I can get, and collectibles tend to be the things that take up the shelf space I actually have.

1 hour ago, Marco Vito Oddo said:

Digital for what I want to keep forever, physical for things I might be inclined to sell. All my Mario and Zelda is digital because I keep replaying these games.

That's a good rule of thumb! I do something similar for comics. Most comics I read digitally. The comics I keep tend to be first appearances or ones I just read all the time and mean something to me.

7 minutes ago, ChrisA90 said:

When I got back into gaming in 2020, the first few games I got were physical. I had no idea digital was even an option. When I realized that, I went digital and didn't look back. I find it to be more convenient. The PlayStation Store is right there on the console. Plus I can swap between games without having to change discs.

I hardly have enough room for my Blu-rays (the only physical media I still collect), so I don't need to try to find storage space for a bunch of video games too.

100% the same way. Those PlayStation Store sales have increased my digital library so much haha.

I tend to prefer physical, especially if it's something I know I'm going to like. But having so much physical media takes up a lot of space, so I've started to transition to digital more and more.

Pretty much just digital these days, save for first party Nintendo games on Switch, I still buy those.

For new games, I usually get them digitally. I've started to build up a pretty hefty catalog of retro games over the past few years, though, so my physical collection is always growing.

I'm mainly digital with everything these days, but my teenager is adamant on physical media. He has a point since digital can be taken or removed, so I don't mind him stockpiling games for each console. His room is a gaming museum 😂

On 4/22/2026 at 8:16 PM, FantasticJerome said:

I'm mainly digital with everything these days, but my teenager is adamant on physical media. He has a point since digital can be taken or removed, so I don't mind him stockpiling games for each console. His room is a gaming museum 😂

I kind of love that this next generation is leaning into things like physical releases, Vinyl, and even Malls. They are all hallmarks of my childhood, and I love that they are likely going to stick around in some form or fashion.

On 4/16/2026 at 4:07 PM, MattAguilarCB said:

That's a good rule of thumb! I do something similar for comics. Most comics I read digitally. The comics I keep tend to be first appearances or ones I just read all the time and mean something to me.

Yes, I do the same with comics! I read almost everything digital, but I grab the physicals I really like. Like the Hellboy library editions, or that wonderful Absolute Batman annual.

On 4/26/2026 at 2:10 PM, MattAguilarCB said:

I kind of love that this next generation is leaning into things like physical releases, Vinyl, and even Malls. They are all hallmarks of my childhood, and I love that they are likely going to stick around in some form or fashion.

I feel like they're wanting to bring back the 80s and 90s and I love it! I've talked to a lot of youth that all say they wish they could have seen the world like we got to. I'm glad to see a few things from our era make a comeback.