Xbox and PlayStation are walking away from physical media. Gamers are scurrying to scoop up the remnants of the physical past. But before you buy a Nintendo Switch 2 to avoid the drama, consider these woes for a console gamer.

If you own a console

  1. The physical disc doesn’t even save that much storage if the game’s install file is just as much as the digital game
  2. Nintendo refuses to reduce the price of its 8-year-old physical games. $45 for Splatoon 2 is ridiculous.
  3. Having a disc is nice until it gets damaged and won’t play
  4. Getting a used console always comes with a janky controller
  5. Today’s cartridges are just keys that download the game. You might not be able to sell it.
  6. Online deals sell a 2025 AAA digital game for $5. GameStop will let you have Madden 2013 for that price.
  7. Buying a game cartridge ensures your right to own the game, but your significant other will never let you keep every game you ever dreamed of.
  8. The used game you bought on eBay has a scratch

If you own a PC

  1. Good luck finding a next-gen rig for under $1200
  2. The one game you waited 3 hours to download cannot function properly and you have no idea why
  3. Steam can flick a switch and you will never play your games again
  4. You just spent $60 for permission to use an exe file
  5. Retro computer gaming has not caught on because no one can find Windows XP anymore
  6. Stream the latest games…if your Internet is behaving perfectly
  7. Game Pass PC lets you have the latest games…if your desktop can handle them
  8. You constantly have to worry about the latest graphics terms: HDR, VVR, and Raytracing