Remember when to play a video game, you were required to have a disc in your possession? I may be showing my age here, but I’m pretty sure that was a thing. (or, for that matter, an antiquated and cumbersome cartridge?!!)
Since I first started playing video games, technology has unquestionably come a very long way.
To be required to insert one memory card after another to save games? Holy cow, that was a lot of effort on your part.
These days’ children have no idea what kinds of challenges those of us of a certain age faced in the past.
The existence of digital games is a well-established fact that dates back quite a few years.
You can easily download the games you want from the PlayStation Store or third-party sellers like Humble Bundle. While there are certainly still physical disc copies available for old-school gamers like me, such as myself, there are also certainly still physical disc copies available.
You have the option of either using a physical disc or downloading the digital version of the game, regardless of the gaming platform you are using.
Is there a benefit to playing video games online?
Should you consider purchasing the PS5 Digital Edition, a version of the console that is exclusive to digital content and does not include a disc drive? Are there any differences between the digital and physical copies of the games? These are the kinds of questions that consumers who are new to the PS5 will want to be answered before they make a purchase.
Let’s talk about how digital games can be played on the PS5, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of playing digital games on the PS5, shall we?
Is a Disc Necessary to Play Games on a PlayStation 5? (Explained!)
You can play games for the PS5 that are either physically shipped to you or downloaded to your system digitally. You have the option of purchasing downloads from the PlayStation Store or a third-party retailer.
There is a significant reduction in the amount of physical clutter caused by digital copies, and yet they are just as simple to load and play as their physical disc counterparts.
What exactly differentiates the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition from one another?
Should you get the latter if you intend to only play games that you have digitally downloaded from the internet?
Are there any benefits to owning physical copies of video games instead of downloading them?
How exactly does one go about installing games onto a PlayStation 5? On the PS5, is it possible to share games that have been digitally downloaded? Continue reading if you want more information on how to play digital versions of PS5 games.
What’s the difference between the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition?
Are you interested in purchasing a disc for your PS5? The correct response is “No,” but whether you should get the PS5 or the PS5 Digital Edition is something to consider before making your purchase.
The PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition both seem to have very similar features, so what sets them apart?
There is, however, one major catch: The Digital Edition can only play games that have been downloaded digitally.
Either game is playable on the base model of the PS5. Because it does not come with a disc drive, the price of the Digital Edition is $100 less than the standard model of the PS5, which costs $499.99.
However, there is no discernible change in either power or performance.
The Digital Edition has a design that is more compact and streamlined, giving it a more streamlined appearance.
You cannot insert any kind of disc into it, which means that you cannot watch movies on Blu-ray or DVD.
It is obvious that it does not provide you with as much flexibility as the standard PS5, but individuals who have transitioned entirely to digital lifestyles will value how much this can reduce the amount of physical clutter in their homes.
Is the PS5 Digital Edition the best option?
Honestly, unless you intend to play just digitally downloaded games, you should go with the normal PS5.
It allows you to play physical copies of games, digital downloads, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs with more freedom.
It is slightly larger and heavier, but only slightly.
The Pros and Cons of Owning a Physical Copy of a Video Game
It’s excellent to have physical game copies since you can recoup some of your investment if you decide you no longer want to play the game.
You might also easily give them to a friend who would appreciate them.
They typically cost around the same as digital downloads, however, some third-party merchants reduce the price of their digital games by putting them on sale to compete with the prices of digital downloads.
Sharing digital games with pals located anywhere in the world is now possible.
However, you will be required to reveal your account information to them; hence, they should be someone with whom you have complete faith to deal with your personal information.
The PlayStation Share Play feature makes it simple for you to trade video games with your close friends.
How do you go about installing games onto your PlayStation 5?
The PlayStation 5 makes it easy to install games, regardless of whether you use a physical disc or a digital download.
You can pick and choose which parts of the game you want to download, or you can install the full game and then uninstall the single-player campaign once you’ve completed it. If you’re wondering how the PS5 is different from earlier versions of the PlayStation, the answer is that you can choose which parts of the game you want to download.
By doing so, storage space would be released, and the multiplayer mode would be made ready for use.
Installation of physical games must be done traditionally, using the game’s accompanying disc.
For PlayStation to be able to validate the game’s license, you will be required to continue using the disc whenever you play.
Everything on the Digital Edition needs to be installed using the internal SSD.
When it comes to loading and switching between different states, this SSD is lightning fast.
The Digital Edition comes equipped with a q NVMe SSD slot and a Custom NVMe SSD with 825 GB of expandable storage space.
Because of how quickly they are used up, you are going to want to get another card as soon as possible.
However, adding it is a chore in and of itself because it requires you to open the console to complete the action.
On the PS5, is it possible to share games that have been digitally downloaded?
On a PS5, is the disc necessary to play games purchased for a PS4? If the game’s data is already installed on the hard drive of the console, then you won’t need a disc to play a PS4 game that was transferred to a PS5 console.
There is backward compatibility between the PS5 and the PS4.
On the PS5, you also can share games with a fair amount of simplicity.
The following procedures are required to accomplish this goal:
- Sign in to your PlayStation Network account using your PS5, if you have one.
- To access the settings, navigate to the main menu and then click the gear icon that is located between the magnifying glass and your avatar. You will then be brought to the Settings tab after doing this.
- Select the Users and Accounts you want.
- Scroll down, then click on Other.
- Pick the option to share your console and play offline. If there is a checkmark next to this option on your PS5 indicating that it has this feature enabled, you will not be able to game share. You’ll need to turn off this feature.
- Sign out of your PlayStation Network account.
- Sign in to the console you want to game-share with using your PlayStation Network account.
- Navigate back to the previous menu and select Don’t Disable from the option list for the Console Sharing and Offline Play menu.
- Sign out of the PlayStation Network on this specific console.
Where can I get the most bang for my buck when it comes to digital downloads?
The best deals on digital downloads can frequently be found at stores run by third parties.
For me, going to Humble Bundle and searching for discounts on PlayStation (and PC) games is a fun activity.
There is a large selection of digital downloads available there, and they frequently package games that are similar together and reduce the prices to encourage more players to download these games. These games can be found there.
You can find just about any video game you’re looking for as a digital download these days, from indie games to big-name releases and everything in between.
A Few Parting Thoughts
On the PS5, you have the option of sticking to digital content exclusively or mixing things up.
Everything depends on you and how you like to play video games.
The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is likely going to be appealing to you if you are determined to reduce the amount of clutter in your home and are intent on transitioning entirely to digital media.
However, considering that you can play games on the PS5 using either a disc or digital downloads, the majority of people will choose to stick with the PS5.
