A study of over 700 PlayStation 5 discs reveals that the majority of physical releases are actually playable offline without any internet connection or additional downloads required. This is important in today’s gaming world because some people argue that owning discs is no different from owning digital games, as the content on them is often tied to online check-ins, forced patches, and paid subscriptions. However, the current study of hundreds of PlayStation 5 discs proves the opposite.
On July 1, Sony announced that PlayStation consoles will stop receiving physical discs starting in 2028. Gamers who opposed this decision quickly pointed out how the move could negatively affect consumers’ rights and essentially end game ownership. Those who didn’t see Sony’s decision as a major issue, on the other hand, suggested that players never actually own a game, and its content always belongs to the publisher, even if it comes on a disc.
93% of PS5 Discs Come with Fully Playable Content
According to an extensive study by DoesItPlay?, out of the 778 reviewed copies, 723 PS5 discs are confirmed to be playable without any kind of online check-in or download required. Essentially, the website’s data suggests that PS5 owners can experience the entire advertised content of 93% of physical releases on a completely offline console without facing any issues. Among these games, only 66% might require insignificant or optional downloads, such as pre-order bonuses or other content that does not affect gameplay. DoesItPlay? also reveals that only 4% of PS5 discs come with internet-locked content.
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PS5 Games (778 discs) |
PS4 Games (1,214 discs) |
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When it comes to PS4 discs, the data is slightly different. DoesItPlay? has analyzed over 1,200 games on the previous-gen PlayStation console, concluding that 92% are still playable without any downloads or internet connection required. Similar to PS5, only 4% of these discs come with major content locked behind downloads or online check-ins that make them unplayable offline.
DoesItPlay? describes offline-playable games as follows: “The game does not depend on any online check-ins, a permanent internet connection, and/or online accounts.”
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Image via Sony -
Image via Sony -
Image via Sony
What the Numbers Could Mean to PS5 Users
The data from the DoesItPlay? study could be used to explain how game ownership differs between physical and digital formats. The PS5 has at least 723 games that players can loan, rent, resell, or keep in their collections forever without having to worry about losing access to their content. Of course, Sony could theoretically change how its PlayStation consoles work and make those discs unplayable in the future.
However, as things stand, most physical discs appear to offer full ownership control to buyers, whereas digital games can always be removed by publishers or storefronts due to issues such as licensing conflicts. Recently, for example, PlayStation Store revealed that it would remove over 500 movies from users’ accounts due to legal reasons. And the same could also happen to people’s games.
Ownership rights in game purchases is currently a hot topic that goes far beyond offline playability or the differences between digital and physical game sales. There are even politicians and lawmakers from around the world commenting on the situation, while people have started official petitions to try and change the law in favor of physical disc buyers. It remains to be seen how these legal battles and consumer protests will affect the future of game ownership.
