Current Events > Do physical PS5 games take less space than downloaded?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I dunno how it works. Im thinking of getting my first physical with FF7Rb

I think it has more on the disk

Nope. The system uses the disc to install most of the game (or all if it's a game with no updates), then pulls the rest from the internet usually. They take the same space. Once it's installed, the disc is only used as a license check.

If you're connected online, it'll still download updates and stuff.

If not, it'll be the disc file size. Which should be smaller (due to the lack of updates)

I assume it works the same as the PS4, in which case the answer is no. The entire game gets installed to the system since blu-ray read speeds can't remotely compare to even an HDD, let alone what the PS5 is packing. The advantage of physical is that you don't need a active Internet connection to verify that you own the game.

I would think it's pretty much the same because if you have physical and then buy digital it uses the same install. You don't have to delete the disc install and download the digital install like on PS4.

• buy physical disc
• it just downloads the entire game off a server anyway

at this point I feel physical video game media is just psychological

Eh then Ill get the download version. Then I can guarantee play on release.

You can also guarantee to never play it again when your hard drive eventually fails after the servers shut down.

pokedude900 posted...

You can also guarantee to never play it again when your hard drive eventually fails after the servers shut down.

If for some reason I wanted to play a game that I only had digitally 10-15 years later, I'd be playing it on my PC whether the server down or not. Example. I have 60ish physical PS2 games. I'm not breaking out my PS2 to play them. I'm going to use an emulator to play them. But the likelihood of me playing a game from that far ago when I already have a huge and growing backlog (can't game as much as I did when I was a kid since I have a family now) is pretty low.

Yeah it just installs in entire game from the disc instead of via a download, but it's the same file size.

That realization is what made me switch to full digital on the PS4 a few years ago.

Then why do they still make disc's just for the key?

Cocytus posted...

Then why do they still make disc's just for the key?

Physical presence in stores combined with legacy medium.

Jupiter posted...

Nope. The system uses the disc to install most of the game (or all if it's a game with no updates), then pulls the rest from the internet usually. They take the same space. Once it's installed, the disc is only used as a license check.

FL81 posted...

buy physical disc
it just downloads the entire game off a server anyway

nope. the vast, vast majority of physical PS5 games do not require a download to play.

refer to this site for more info:

https://www.doesitplay.org/

Cocytus posted...

Then why do they still make disc's just for the key?

Some people still like to collect physical media.

Plus, for people that live in areas with shitty internet, getting the physical game is the only way they'd be able to play. Some rural parts of the country still have dial up. A 50GB game would take a minimum of 82 days to download on that connection

Cocytus posted...

Then why do they still make disc's just for the key?

the actual game data is still stored on the disc....

it's amazing to me that people still think there is no actual game data on physical discs...

The only reasons to buy physical media now is if your internet is super slow or you want the option to resell it. I always thought it was crazy having to install all those GB from the disc to the drive.

I love my disk PS5 I buy so many PS4 games for cheap and some of them come with the PS5 upgrade for free...

MarshMellow posted...

The only reasons to buy physical media now is if your internet is super slow or you want the option to resell it. I always thought it was crazy having to install all those GB from the disc to the drive.

also if you want to actually own the game and not have to worry about a digital license expiring or being taken away.

CrimsonGear80 posted...

nope. the vast, vast majority of physical PS5 games do not require a download to play.

refer to this site for more info:

https://www.doesitplay.org/

...I don't think that contradicts with what I said at all. I said it installs most from the disc (or all if there are no updates). If you don't have the internet connected, then it wouldn't see any updates. If you are connected to the internet and there are updates, then it will download and install updates. I never said it was required to download to play.

Jupiter posted...

...I don't think that contradicts with what I said at all. I said it installs most from the disc (or all if there are no updates). If you don't have the internet connected, then it wouldn't see any updates. If you are connected to the internet and there are updates, then it will download and install updates. I never said it was required to download to play.

you made it sound like part of the game had to be downloaded:

The system uses the disc to install most of the game (or all if it's a game with no updates), then pulls the rest from the internet usually.

and you saying "or all if it's a game with no updates" makes it seem like if a game has an update that you NEED to be connected to install and play it.

Cocytus posted...

Then why do they still make disc's just for the key?

depending on your internet speeds, it might be faster to install games from disc.
When I get a ps5, I'm planning on getting the disc-drive version + physical copies of some games for that reason, because modern games are huge and my internet isn't exactly super fast.