The Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5)

[slitherjef]

Had a thought earlier today about this physical vs digital always online fiasco. Disc, I like them, I think whole game should be on them, I don't like the idea your system calls home to play a game you bought. Or the game is basically early access that needs patching and updating and runs as a service (seems to be the normal for things for a long time though).

But something else also crossed my mind and do think it's possible for Sony or Microsoft to ban your disc from their system. Meaning having a physical copy wouldn't matter. Just like you could lose the license to your digital copy for whatever reason, I think they could revoke the disc and I don't think it would be that hard for them so do so since it's almost a requirement for the system to be on line. And sooner or later a game you pick up from a retailer is probably going to need to phone home before you launch it or even install. Looking at crimson desert for example.

Would they do this? Not sure, but was a thought I had while I ponder my own physical / digital debate. My steam library is digital (but also haven't spent an insane 100 bucks on a single game -yet anyway) I do have a few digital offerings on my pro.

Also have at least one rotted dream cast game where the aluminum peeled from the polycarbonate. Also got a couple PlayStation 1s with non working drives. And a stack of games.

Also finding physical games locally has been difficult and takes a bit of hunting.

Half dozen of one, 6 of another I guess. Acquire physical while I can and if it's a nice sale, digital? Kind of like I have been. And maybe actually trying to play the games instead of just collecting them for later. Hard to game when wore out and tired... 😮‍💨

 

[MisterSavage]

But something else also crossed my mind and do think it's possible for Sony or Microsoft to ban your disc from their system. Meaning having a physical copy wouldn't matter. Just like you could lose the license to your digital copy for whatever reason, I think they could revoke the disc and I don't think it would be that hard for them so do so since it's almost a requirement for the system to be on line. And sooner or later a game you pick up from a retailer is probably going to need to phone home before you launch it or even install. Looking at crimson desert for example.

That was the whole 2013 E3 fiasco where Xbox was announcing restrictions like that on discs. Sony smelled blood and came out with this response about how they weren't restricting your discs.

 

[JamesMay82]

I have mixed feelings on the death of the discs, in part because it was already such a hobbled setup anyway for long-term play. The add-on drive for the Slim models (and even the included one on disc models) requires an internet connection to key it to your console, so if they ever shut the validation server down and your console crashes or gets reset, it's over and you can't do it. I don't know 100% but I believe all models require an initial internet update/validation to even work as well.

On top of that of course many of the games on disc were not complete or playable just via the disc, or are in a weakened state compared to fully patched up/updated copies. It's not the same as if this were PS2 era where everything is just good to go no matter what the case may be. Some of these things might not be problems for another 20 years, but eventually they will be. Softened the impact for me, anyway.

Nonetheless it is a sad step in that the used game/game trading market will cease to exist, driving up prices especially in Asia and parts of the Americas that rely on physical to a much greater extent than US/CA does. Gaming in general seems to be getting increasingly unaffordable.

I will be much more upset if Blu-Ray dies because there is a clear advantage there; streaming movies is not exactly the same quality or consistency as a disc, and I doubt it will be any time soon. It will take much stronger internet connections to 1:1 constantly match the bitrate and audio quality of a large disc. 4K UHD is a good format and hopefully still has some life left in it.

Very Sad indeed and I’m not sure how much i trust apple.

I just read their small print on their iTunes purchases and it says

When you purchase access to this item, you can permanently download it to your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC. Once downloaded, you can access this without an internet connection, and Apple can't remove it from your device. If you purchase this from the Apple TV app on Apple TV, smart TVs or other streaming devices, you can't download it on those devices, but you can easily download it on compatible devices.

The comment regarding access without internet once you’ve downloaded does that mean that the Apple ID is never needed to authorise movies again? So in theory could i keep an offline machine for years and play movies without issues?

Apple Music requires a internet connection every 30 days i believe.

What are everyone’s thoughts?

 

[slitherjef]

So looked into the idea of passing my pro off to my sister and having her trade her PS5 with disc drive while she was thinking about taking the funds from the trade in to grab herself a switch 2, turns out, wouldn't really be worth it especially after she backs up and wipes her well used system and transfers to things to the pro. Not only that, more research she did, she didn't really find any switch 2 games that actually looked interesting that would justify getting a switch 2.

So, she's still using her PS5 almost daily, and I'm in limbo with mine. Job has been taking a lot out of me lately so gaming has been pretty much back burnered for me.

Guess I got the thing and a few games, might as well keep trying to get into it.

Anyone have a recent purchase that they've just gone cold on?

 

[Macalicious2011]

So looked into the idea of passing my pro off to my sister and having her trade her PS5 with disc drive while she was thinking about taking the funds from the trade in to grab herself a switch 2, turns out, wouldn't really be worth it especially after she backs up and wipes her well used system and transfers to things to the pro. Not only that, more research she did, she didn't really find any switch 2 games that actually looked interesting that would justify getting a switch 2.

So, she's still using her PS5 almost daily, and I'm in limbo with mine. Job has been taking a lot out of me lately so gaming has been pretty much back burnered for me.

Guess I got the thing and a few games, might as well keep trying to get into it.

Anyone have a recent purchase that they've just gone cold on?

Don't rush go pass it down.

We live life in chapters. Over some months we might game alot and other another period we don't because work, family or health becomes a priority.

 

[aespana]

Hello guys! What are you general thinking about this physical disk disaster and the future of the PS5?

I'm still thinking about it. Not completely sure if I should keep my PS5 and play with it and buy new games (on sales of course) or just move to PC. I really like the experience of just turning on the PS5 and don't have to dealing with anything more but I also like the improvement on graphics and FPS that the PC offers.

Still not sure what to do. Right now I paid for a month of PS Plus and I have been using my PS5 exclusively since my PC is on my parent's house (I moved recently). My brother is using the PC and he also bough a month of gamepass to play Forza Horizon 6. Both subscriptions die at the end of July and I told him that I will take the PC with me after that. (He also has a PS5).

I need some advice since I just don't know what to do. What do you think?

 

[Macalicious2011]

Hello guys! What are you general thinking about this physical disk disaster and the future of the PS5?

I'm still thinking about it. Not completely sure if I should keep my PS5 and play with it and buy new games (on sales of course) or just move to PC. I really like the experience of just turning on the PS5 and don't have to dealing with anything more but I also like the improvement on graphics and FPS that the PC offers.

Still not sure what to do. Right now I paid for a month of PS Plus and I have been using my PS5 exclusively since my PC is on my parent's house (I moved recently). My brother is using the PC and he also bough a month of gamepass to play Forza Horizon 6. Both subscriptions die at the end of July and I told him that I will take the PC with me after that. (He also has a PS5).

I need some advice since I just don't know what to do. What do you think?

Own both ps5 and pc.

 

[Taustin Powers]

I think cloud gaming could be an increasingly interesting option in the future, if hardware costs keep rising. The Portal is a really good portable PS5, if you have a good internet connection. Replace the display with an HDMI out, and you may have a relatively inexpensive alternative to play next-gen games on your tv in the future. Not for everyone, but for many.

 

[wonderings]

I think cloud gaming could be an increasingly interesting option in the future, if hardware costs keep rising. The Portal is a really good portable PS5, if you have a good internet connection. Replace the display with an HDMI out, and you may have a relatively inexpensive alternative to play next-gen games on your tv in the future. Not for everyone, but for many.

Do you really think if they can make it cheaper they are going to pass those savings along to the consumer? The fact that digital games sell for the same price as a physical game tells you all you need to know right there. All that will happen when going to digital only games is it will make it that much more difficult for people to play with no used games.

 

[Taustin Powers]

Do you really think if they can make it cheaper they are going to pass those savings along to the consumer? The fact that digital games sell for the same price as a physical game tells you all you need to know right there. All that will happen when going to digital only games is it will make it that much more difficult for people to play with no used games.

The Portal is much less expensive than a PS5. So, yes, I think they would sell a streaming-only box for way less than a powerful gaming machine. They already do.

 

[BlankStar]

Problem with streaming, is the same as digital only: not the whole world has stable and decent internet. I have a 500 mbit connection (I'm too cheap to pay for more since absolutely no normal family needs more but that's another discussion) but imagine being on a starlink or older DSL-connection somewhere in a rural area. Stuttering streamed gaming, and with games getting bigger and bigger. Has to be infuriating to buy a game and then wait 20 hrs for it to download...

 

[Macalicious2011]

Problem with streaming, is the same as digital only: not the whole world has stable and decent internet. I have a 500 mbit connection (I'm too cheap to pay for more since absolutely no normal family needs more but that's another discussion) but imagine being on a starlink or older DSL-connection somewhere in a rural area. Stuttering streamed gaming, and with games getting bigger and bigger. Has to be infuriating to buy a game and then wait 20 hrs for it to download...

High bandwidth isn't enough for streaming. You need low latency and a very good router. In some cases you need to configure the router or buy WiFi extenders.

That's way too techy for the average consumer who will be made dizzy by reading IP dress, 2.4ghz, 5gz, DNS etc.

A friend of mine has a portal. Works very well but the had to tinker and buy extender.

 

[BlankStar]

High bandwidth isn't enough for streaming. You need low latency and a very good router. In some cases you need to configure the router or buy WiFi extenders.

That's way too techy for the average consumer who will be made dizzy by reading IP dress, 2.4ghz, 5gz, DNS etc.

A friend of mine has a portal. Works very well but the had to tinker and buy extender.

Absolutely correct. I also have a Portal and confirm everything you said. Never had any issues with anything on my wifi but had to tinker with several settings in my unifi network console to optimize it for the Portal. It did improve with the 2.0 software update but still needs a really stable connection to function properly.
And recently PS+ was offline for a couple of hours, in the streaming world of tomorrow that means you wouldn't be able to game anymore, at all.

 

[Pezimak]

Hello guys! What are you general thinking about this physical disk disaster and the future of the PS5?

I'm still thinking about it. Not completely sure if I should keep my PS5 and play with it and buy new games (on sales of course) or just move to PC. I really like the experience of just turning on the PS5 and don't have to dealing with anything more but I also like the improvement on graphics and FPS that the PC offers.

Still not sure what to do. Right now I paid for a month of PS Plus and I have been using my PS5 exclusively since my PC is on my parent's house (I moved recently). My brother is using the PC and he also bough a month of gamepass to play Forza Horizon 6. Both subscriptions die at the end of July and I told him that I will take the PC with me after that. (He also has a PS5).

I need some advice since I just don't know what to do. What do you think?

Personally I don't care much, fact is the majority of people have been moving over to digital for a while now. But... their DOES need to be better consumer protection rights over ownership of the games. Yes you do not own the software, never have, you buy a licence, however the fact these companies, including Microsoft and Nintendo can if they need to, remove a game from your library permanently doesn't sit well.
Remember PC is all digital as well and technically the same can occur there with the removal of games, only difference being as it is an open platform you can probably find ways to store your games and use them indefinitely.

 

[BlankStar]

Personally I don't care much, fact is the majority of people have been moving over to digital for a while now. But... their DOES need to be better consumer protection rights over ownership of the games. Yes you do not own the software, never have, you buy a licence, however the fact these companies, including Microsoft and Nintendo can if they needs to, remove a game from your library permanently doesn't sit well.
Remember PC is all digital as well and technically the same can occur there with the removal of games, only difference being as it is an open platform you can probably find ways to store your games and use them indefinitely.

And when comparing to the pc: loads of stores and ways to get games. Not the case when talking about consoles.

 

[Pezimak]

And when comparing to the pc: loads of stores and ways to get games. Not the case when talking about consoles.

You can still buy console games in the brick and mortar stores though, that won't change with digital. So pricing will still be discounted, plus with Xbox and Nintendo you can buy digital keys off sites like Loaded so you have a big choice where to buy the games just like PC. And Valve are being investigated on several cases for monopolistic price fixing. So whilst PC games are generally cheaper, it isn't all roses on that side.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Xbox and Nintendo you can buy digital keys off sites like Loaded so you have a big choice where to buy the games just like PC. And Valve are being investigated on several cases for monopolistic price fixing. So whilst PC games are generally cheaper, it isn't all roses on that side.

I disagree.

I bought my PC when I had already owned a Series X for 3 years. Now I own a PS5 Pro. Games on PC are waaay cheaper. This includes buying CDkeys for PC, PS5 and Xbox. Sometimes the PC are for sale at $2-4 versus $20-30 on console.

Although my PC is more expensive, over 3-5 years it makes up for it with bargain games, some for as little as £0.80p/$1. These are good and acclaimed titles.

My son asked why I havent played the ps5 pro I bought last month. I told him that I can buy ps5 exclusives on pc for much less and ru them at higher graphics.

 

[aespana]

I disagree.

I bought my PC when I had already owned a Series X for 3 years. Now I own a PS5 Pro. Games on PC are waaay cheaper. This includes buying CDkeys for PC, PS5 and Xbox. Sometimes the PC are for sale at $2-4 versus $20-30 on console.

Although my PC is more expensive, over 3-5 years it makes up for it with bargain games, some for as little as £0.80p/$1. These are good and acclaimed titles.

My son asked why I havent played the ps5 pro I bought last month. I told him that I can buy ps5 exclusives on pc for much less and ru them at higher graphics.

Graphics and prices are two of the main reasons where PC wins over consoles but for me, the "press a button, turn on TV, choose game and play" is what moves me to consoles.

I know myself and I know that I just can't be a normal person and hit double click on a PC game and just play it without trying to get the best graphics/FPS combination possible. Running a FPS meter to see if Im hitting 60s constantly and with a good ms.. I just can't . It's like a curse.

Happily, with the PS5 I just hit the PS button, turn on the TV and choose a game. I only buy games on sales so I always try to get the lowest price possible. Yes, paying for the Online is sh.t but I pay the lowest tier and try to play my own games or my brother's games (we share our accounts) and that's it. Also, they are giving good games to the Plus so Im fine with that.

I realy want to get a Pro for December or maybe January. Let's see if the luck is with me when the moment arrives

 

[Pezimak]

I disagree.

I bought my PC when I had already owned a Series X for 3 years. Now I own a PS5 Pro. Games on PC are waaay cheaper. This includes buying CDkeys for PC, PS5 and Xbox. Sometimes the PC are for sale at $2-4 versus $20-30 on console.

Although my PC is more expensive, over 3-5 years it makes up for it with bargain games, some for as little as £0.80p/$1. These are good and acclaimed titles.

My son asked why I havent played the ps5 pro I bought last month. I told him that I can buy ps5 exclusives on pc for much less and ru them at higher graphics.

That is not a blanket statement though, AAA games at launch are not 'way cheaper' on PC, cheaper maybe but not that much.

 

[Macalicious2011]

That is not a blanket statement though, AAA games at launch are not 'way cheaper' on PC, cheaper maybe but not that much.

Yes, launch prices are the same. However games that are older than 1 year old are often heavily discounted. Steam sales is very good so are Ubisoft's 🙂

Abolishing optical drive is a mixed bag. For people who play live service titles, it won't matter. Likewise, some don't like the noise of the optical drive and therefore buy digital. However the flexibility of being able to buy a used game serves as cheques and balances. Basically gives you an option if Sony store fronts do price gouging.