Safe to say future consoles won't have physical media/disc drives?

[The Blackangel]

As much as I hate to admit it, I see things going strictly digital in the not too distant future. Possibly within the PS6 era, whenever that comes. Nintendo would be the only one I could see being a holdout. It would land a hell of a blow on profits for companies. Games are all on Blu-ray discs now, which Sony owns the patent to. So if say Xbox went to strictly digital, and stopped using Blu-ray discs, Sony would lose a shitload of money. I hope this doesn't happen any time soon, but I'm absolutely 100% positive it will eventually.

[Shortie]

On 1/17/2023 at 11:06 PM, The Blackangel said:

As much as I hate to admit it, I see things going strictly digital in the not too distant future. Possibly within the PS6 era, whenever that comes. Nintendo would be the only one I could see being a holdout. It would land a hell of a blow on profits for companies. Games are all on Blu-ray discs now, which Sony owns the patent to. So if say Xbox went to strictly digital, and stopped using Blu-ray discs, Sony would lose a shitload of money. I hope this doesn't happen any time soon, but I'm absolutely 100% positive it will eventually.

With the way most companies are pushing digital over physical now it definitely seems like that is what we will see happen. It may not happen for quite a few years yet but over that time, companies will more than likely push digital out more and more so that people are ready for when that happens. 

[Reality vs Adventure]

Uh oh, I think you have a really good point. Thinking about it, that would no doubt be the direction Sony’s major competitor would want. Actually, take a look at laptops. All computers had a disc drive until I think it was Apple that started making laptops w/o disc drives. I haven’t done my research why, and it bugs the hell out of me too why my own laptop has no drive. I don’t know why laptops went that way and what kind of impact it had on competition in the computer world. Maybe both Microsoft and Apple already gave a right hook to Sony due to that. Game consoles without a disc drive no doubt would target Sony’s blue ray even more. Going even further, DVD players will probably get dropped for good as everything turns digital download and streaming to watch shows, movies, and play games. No doubt all those big companies want exactly that. It gives them control. Consumers lose rights as our right to physical disc drive gets taken away. I say rights because consumers have rights. When disc drives are gone, we will all end up having to pay for a service and subscription for all our entertainment needs. Then they can Jack up any price they want. Then one company buys off another company and you get a monopoly. Sony could be an underdog probably along with Nintendo if they make sure to always offer disc drives. That is what strong competition is, diversity. It doesn’t mean they can’t also offer digital downloads of course, but I believe there are many people out there who support the disc drive. 

[The Blackangel]

Disc drives are already a thing of the past. If you want a disc drive for your computer, you have to buy an external. Mine is a Blu-ray writer and it plugs into 2 USB ports on my computer. I have burned a few music mixes, but never a Blu-ray. The blanks are too god damn expensive.

So it's already a thing in the computing world. Gaming will no doubt follow suit shortly. We already have systems that offer no physical support. Xbox Series S is a good example. Also the vast vast vast amount of Nintendo games are DDL's. I personally have 125 DDL's on my Switch. I only hace 23 carts, but many of them are multiple game carts. So purely digital is already showing it's ugly head.

Another thought is that it would hurt retail stores like Walmart, because they wouldn't be able to sell the games. They would only sell cards with download codes, but could never match the amount available through the game store on said console.

Edited February 5, 2023 by The Blackangel

[Kane99]

11 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

Disc drives are already a thing of the past. If you want a disc drive for your computer, you have to buy an external. Mine is a Blu-ray writer and it plugs into 2 USB ports on my computer. I have burned a few music mixes, but never a Blu-ray. The blanks are too god damn expensive.

So it's already a thing in the computing world. Gaming will no doubt follow suit shortly. We already have systems that offer no physical support. Xbox Series S is a good example. Also the vast vast vast amount of Nintendo games are DDL's. I personally have 125 DDL's on my Switch. I only hace 23 carts, but many of them are multiple game carts. So purely digital is already showing it's ugly head.

Another thought is that it would hurt retail stores like Walmart, because they wouldn't be able to sell the games. They would only sell cards with download codes, but could never match the amount available through the game store on said console.

True. I have a few DVD drives sitting in my closet for a PC and I haven't installed them in years. I have a PC I could install one in, but haven't bothered to do it, as I don't ever use physical media on my PC anyway. 

We'll still see physical media the next gen or two, but I think we're going to see more digital only consoles coming, which will spell the end of physical media. 

Plus, I think the digital consoles sell better overall, especially since majority of the time they're cheaper. 

[Kale]

I'd not be too shocked by it. I expect that they will keep coming out with a discless version and a disc version from here on out. I have a Series S and mostly use it for streaming and used it for Gamepass at one point. 

[Kane99]

One thing I think might happen in the future, is what we see now with these retro mini consoles popping up. I think at some point, we'll see consoles without the ability to play physical media, but I think we'll see new consoles come out trying to bring that back in some way. 

Idk, maybe I'm dreaming, but I think we'll see some kind of nostalgia cash grab that will feature devices that take physical media again. 

 

[Ravenfreak]

I hope they don't go down this route. I prefer physical media, but it is probably much cheaper to make all digital consoles. I am not only a gamer but I'm a collector and think it's cool to have physical media that you can see and fire up anytime you feel like it without needing a internet connection to play the game. (Unless the game makes you get online...)

[killamch89]

On 4/10/2023 at 8:03 PM, Ravenfreak said:

I hope they don't go down this route. I prefer physical media, but it is probably much cheaper to make all digital consoles. I am not only a gamer but I'm a collector and think it's cool to have physical media that you can see and fire up anytime you feel like it without needing a internet connection to play the game. (Unless the game makes you get online...)

Physical media has been on the decline for over a decade as digital is more cost-effective and with the rising inflation, physical media will disappear completely outside of collectors such as yourself.

[Shortie]

On 4/11/2023 at 2:03 AM, Ravenfreak said:

I hope they don't go down this route. I prefer physical media, but it is probably much cheaper to make all digital consoles. I am not only a gamer but I'm a collector and think it's cool to have physical media that you can see and fire up anytime you feel like it without needing a internet connection to play the game. (Unless the game makes you get online...)

I think for people who love to collect video games and also enjoy to have them physical as well, this will hit them hard when physical games start to really phase out which is a shame. I can only imagine how game stores will be when that finally does happen, won't be a disc in a case but a code in a case which I know we are seeing an increase in at the moment. 

I guess if they still make the cases for the codes, that could be one way to keep your collection going even without a disc within the case. 

[The Blackangel]

It's very possible that the Xbox Series X, the Switch, and the disc capable PS5 are going to be the last systems that offer physical media capabilities. People are already buying digital games. Even I have bought a lot of them. I would honestly be surprised if the next gen has even one system that could run physical media.

Edited August 14, 2023 by The Blackangel

[Bizdustry]

There is a chance that future consoles might not include physical media/disc drives. Progress in technology has made downloading and streaming games through digital platforms quite popular. This has sparked discussions that future consoles could prioritize digital distribution exclusively. By eliminating physical media, consoles could potentially become more compact and efficient. However, it's crucial to remember that these are merely speculations, and the final decision rests with console manufacturers and consumer choices.

[Reality vs Adventure]

Denying us physical discs is simply monopoly. You will no longer have a choice where to shop. You will be forced subscriptions. 

[Scorpion]

I share your concerns! Digital convenience is tempting, but I hope physical media sticks around for collectors and nostalgia lovers.