Is it possible to own and play physical PC games anymore?

[Ita Bear]

Hello folks,
back in the day I enjoyed having a physical PC games collection. There was always something satisfying about installing games with the CD/DVD. It felt like one actually owned the game, rather than merely being given permission to play it through Steam. It seems all but impossible to own physical PC games now. I haven't even had a PC with a disc drive for over a decade. How does one actually get a physical collection of games these days, able to play without online systems or third-party software? The best option seems to be GOG, who sell all their games DRM free and playable without logging into anything. I should really start getting games there rather than Steam...

 

[Patine]

Hello folks,
back in the day I enjoyed having a physical PC games collection. There was always something satisfying about installing games with the CD/DVD. It felt like one actually owned the game, rather than merely being given permission to play it through Steam. It seems all but impossible to own physical PC games now. I haven't even had a PC with a disc drive for over a decade. How does one actually get a physical collection of games these days, able to play without online systems or third-party software? The best option seems to be GOG, who sell all their games DRM free and playable without logging into anything. I should really start getting games there rather than Steam...

There often tend to be workarounds to get these older games to play on later OS' (see Civ2 Tech Support, for instance). So, if you have the disks (like I have a bunch) and disk-drive (even my remote, plug-in one) most games have someone on the Internet whose cracked the way to play them on later OS'. However, getting such disks maybe on the five-and-dime or garage sale circuit...

 

[Blake00]

I still try to get physical copies for my collection when I can, however it's getting harder and harder. Usually the disc just has a Steam or GoG version of the game on it for install so you can forget about being totally disconnected these days for modern stuff lol.

 

[Quintillus]

For older games? The local game/DVD store has a small PC section, with multiple copies of Rome: Total War available, among other (primarily non-strategy) titles. eBay is a source I've used before.

External DVD drives are a dime a dozen... well, not literally, but they are inexpensive. Or build a desktop with an internal drive. A lot of newer cases omit 5.25" slots for DVDs, but you can still find cases that have them.

Newer games? Good luck... maybe certain collectors' editions? But as Blake00 mentions, for mainstream games, if there's a box, it often just has a download code. It may not be physical, but GOG is likely the best practical bet for a "forever" copy not dependent on online services. Although, some games on Steam are DRM-free and launch just fine without a central launcher, it's just not a sure thing like on GOG, and GOG reliably offers downloadable installers to make migrations to future computers reliable, should you keep those installers around locally.

This makes me think of a good poll - which forms of physical media do people miss? A lot of people miss vinyl given its sales revival (or just think it's cool...). For me, I like music CDs for the road (my car is just too old to make iPod/Spotify integration truly convenient), and see the appeal of DVDs/Blu-Rays in the age of constantly changing online streaming catalogs, but I'm not nostalgic for the CD/DVD/floppy era of PC games. Fast load times, the high reliability of digital game services, and the generally lower prices (especially for those willing to wait for a sale) have converted me.

 

[Kyriakos]

My computer doesn't even have a cd/dvd drive :/