My PS3 taught me a big lesson in 2025

• Having an actual disc makes all the difference
• Unfortunately, it’s expensive to keep this up

I’ve been playing video games pretty much my entire life, and while I still enjoy doing it, it feels like there’s something missing. A part of this is certainly growing up and having more responsibilities, but I think there’s more to it than that. It’s no secret that game companies have been trying to push a digital world, and that’s highly evidenced by consoles launching without disc drives these days.

While it’s convenient, digital games lead to a bunch of other problems. Aside from not actually owning anything, I found that having access to a bunch of things at once isn’t all that great. It’s similar to my problem with Netflix and streaming services as a whole. Sure, it’s cool to be able to watch anything I want, but I found that I don’t really do that in practice. Instead, it leads to choice paralysis, where I spend hours looking for something to watch before defaulting to either watching nothing or putting on something I’ve already seen.

The same thing applies to games, and while something like Xbox Game Pass felt cool when it first launched, we’re now looking at something that costs $30 a month that’s hard to justify. I’m sure some people find some value there still, but I don’t feel the same way anymore. The rising costs and overwhelming number of games and shows available at my fingertips have actually led me back into physical media.

After plugging in my PS3, Xbox 360, and original Xbox, and actually tracking down some physical discs, I found out that I’m much more likely to play a game to completion instead of bouncing off it. The nature of Game Pass lets me try out several games, and that’s what I ended up doing. That’s a nice idea, but it meant I installed a bunch of things and never got invested in one single thing. Going through the process of buying a game and deliberately putting the disc in unlocked something in me, and I’ve been finishing more games as a result.

Having an actual disc makes all the difference

A far simpler time might also be the better time

I grew up using discs, whether it was video games or movies, so I’m no stranger to the world of having to get up to put something into a DVD player or console. When digital first started to gain a foothold, I’ll admit that I welcomed it with open arms. I have quite a few digital movies and games, and I obviously subscribe to streaming services. However, it wasn’t until recently that I realized I hadn’t been gaming as much as I used to in prior years.

Like many people, I dove into the past and hoped nostalgia would take over. As it turns out, I don’t think it has anything to do with nostalgia. I played games like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows for the first time ever this year; I can firmly take nostalgia out of the picture. These are just good games, and they are also games I never would’ve given the time of day if I didn’t have the disc for them. Fortunately, tracking down used PS3 and Xbox 360 era titles isn’t too hard at the moment.

Knowing I can’t play anything else without having to change the disc has made it so I am far more likely to sit down and play something, regardless of the game’s age. It seems like this applies to modern games as well, because I played Donkey Kong Bananza from start to finish in the course of a week or so.

Unfortunately, it’s expensive to keep this up

There’s a big tradeoff

The big downside of grabbing physical discs, at least for older games, is the price. These aren’t readily available from stores, so I’ve had to scour eBay and used game shops to find deals. Depending on what you’re looking for, the games might be cheap. Ninja Gaiden: Black, on the other hand, costs about $40 for the original Xbox for whatever reason.

The same thing goes for movies these days. It feels like after Best Buy got out of the physical media game, 4K discs have shot up in price. The deals aren’t the same as they used to be for Black Friday, and after you bought all you want from the usual suspects that are always on sale, there’s not a lot to pick from. I liked Captain America: Brave New World, but I’m not particularly interested in paying more than $30 for it.

Knowing I can’t play anything else without having to change the disc has made it so I am far more likely to sit down and play something, regardless of the game’s age.

Although I get more enjoyment out of having a disc, it’s something that’s not sustainable unless you have a bunch of disposable income. I’ll keep plugging away at cheaper games, but I can’t really justify buying some like the aforementioned Ninja Gaiden: Black when I can just grab a digital copy on my Xbox for $10.