Just because a game is on disc doesn’t mean it will work in the future
An increasing number of games sold on discs or cartridges cannot be fully played in the future without downloading patches or essential content from online servers. This weakens the preservation value of physical releases, particularly as Sony’s planned move away from physical PlayStation games has renewed attention on media that should work independently of the internet.
The preservation group DoesItPlay has tested thousands of releases and found that 27% require downloads to fix serious bugs or access core content; the figure rises to 34% for PlayStation 5 games and 50% for Xbox Series X titles. Some discs contain severely flawed launch versions, such as Cyberpunk 2077, while others hold only a small part of the game and require large downloads, including Doom: The Dark Ages, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and The Outer Worlds 2.
In short
- Physical games increasingly depend on online downloads.
- Half of tested Xbox Series X discs need extra downloads.
- Disc ownership does not guarantee future playability.
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The case for
Physical releases are often valued as lasting, self-contained copies, so requiring a server download can undermine preservation and leave buyers unable to play when support ends or access is lost. The test results suggest this is a substantial issue, and clearer labelling or more complete discs could help players make informed choices and preserve games for the future.
The case against
Modern games are frequently updated after release, and downloads can provide bug fixes, improvements and content that would be impractical to fit on a disc or cartridge. Publishers may reasonably prioritise delivering and supporting a complete, current experience, while physical copies can still offer benefits such as resale and collection even when they are not fully independent of online services.
Explained simply
Physical games sold on discs have always offered one promise: they would work indefinitely without the internet. However, an increasing number of games now cannot be played fully without downloading essential patches or content from online servers. If those servers are eventually switched off, the physical disc alone will no longer be enough to play the game.
Game preservation groups and collectors are concerned about this because it undermines the main advantage of physical games—they should remain playable independently of any company's servers. As games become increasingly dependent on online connections to work properly, future generations may lose access to these titles when companies shut down their servers or cease to exist. The worry has intensified because major console manufacturers are moving away from releasing physical copies altogether.
A preservation group called DoesItPlay has tested thousands of games and found that roughly a quarter require internet downloads to work properly. Some discs contain only a partially finished or faulty version of the game, such as Cyberpunk 2077 on its initial release, whilst others contain just a fraction of the full game and need substantial downloads to be playable. The problem is especially acute with the newest consoles, affecting about half of Xbox Series X titles and a third of PlayStation 5 games tested.