SMRTR TechJul 30, 2026Ars Technica

Just because a game is on disc doesn’t mean it will work in the future

SMRTR summary

Many physical video game releases today require internet downloads to work properly, undermining the whole point of owning a disc or cartridge. DoesItPlay, a community testing group, found that 27% of physical games need downloads to fix bugs or access core content, rising to 50% for Xbox Series X titles. Without those downloads, once servers shut down, countless discs become unplayable forever.

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