Unboxing Disappointment? Many PS5 & Xbox Games Need Updates to Play!

There’s a special feeling when you unwrap a brand-new physical game, isn’t there? That shiny disc in its case, the anticipation of just popping it into your console and diving straight into the action. But what if that disc doesn’t actually contain the whole game? A recent report suggests this is becoming a frustrating reality for many PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S owners.

It turns out that a significant chunk of physical games for our current-gen consoles aren’t fully playable right out of the box. Many require you to download additional data, patches, or even essential content before you can experience the game as intended. This really changes the whole “physical media” argument, doesn’t it?

According to findings from a dedicated platform that tests physical game versions, the situation is quite stark. For PS5, out of nearly 800 games examined, roughly 34% either require a mandatory download to function properly or are so buggy and incomplete without one that they’re barely playable. Think about it: you buy a disc, but a third of the time, you still need to dedicate internet bandwidth and storage space before you can actually start your adventure.

The picture for Xbox Series X/S is even more concerning, although it’s based on a smaller sample size of games. The report indicates that a whopping 50% of the tested physical Xbox titles don’t work fully without an initial download. In fact, a large percentage (around 68%) reportedly need some form of download to play at all, with some being severely broken or missing content if you try to go offline. This really makes you wonder about the value of that disc you just bought.

So, why is this a big deal, especially for us gamers in Pakistan? Firstly, internet access and data caps are real concerns. Not everyone has unlimited, super-fast broadband. Using up precious data on mandatory game downloads, even after buying a physical copy, can be a major headache. Secondly, what happens if game servers go down? We’ve seen instances where server outages have made even digitally owned games unplayable. If your physical disc relies on a server to download critical files, you could be left with an expensive coaster down the line.

Perhaps the biggest concern is game preservation. Historically, physical media was the safeguard against games disappearing forever. You could always pop in an old PS2 or Xbox 360 disc and relive those memories. But if future console generations drop disc drives entirely, and our current physical games need online downloads to work, what happens when those download servers eventually shut down? We could be looking at a future where countless games are simply lost to time.

This trend highlights a growing shift towards an “always online” ecosystem, even for games you technically “own” on disc. While PC gaming has been largely digital for years, the console world, especially for PlayStation and Xbox, has traditionally offered a robust physical option. With reports suggesting Sony might even halt disc production by 2028, and the PS6 potentially arriving without a disc drive, the era of truly offline, complete physical games seems to be fading fast. It’s a bitter pill for collectors and anyone who values owning their games outright.