**TL;DR**: Should I switch my physical game collection to digital games?
**Context**: I grew up playing with Nintendo consoles and have always been a fan of Nintendo. Today, I have a collection of over **200 physical** Nintendo games. The reason is that back then, digital games weren’t available, and I also enjoy the tactile sensation of having the game box, something to display, and take pride in owning rare games. Additionally, when **digital games** started emerging, they **were** **too expensive in my country** compared to retail stores or the second-hand market. Even today, a game on the Switch eShop costs **78 Swiss francs**, which is about **$91** or **€83**, whereas I could buy 2 or 3 used Switch games for that price. Moreover, I’ve never liked digital games because I’m not guaranteed access to my games in +10 years, but **is it different with my physical games**?…
Recently, I learned that **Wii U discs are rotting**. Despite taking great care of my collection, I’ve noticed that I’m also affected by this “cancer”. Worse yet, I feel like some Wii games are facing the same issue. Consequently, I’m wondering: **Should I sell my games before they become unusable to finance the purchase of digital games**? **What about Wii, DS, 3DS, and Wii U games whose online stores have closed**? Being realistic, even if I sell everything, I won’t have enough money because of the significant price difference, as I explained earlier. **Or should I simply keep my games**, hoping they survive for as long as possible, and when the time comes, resort to alternative means (Jack Sparrow) even if i’m against it as a collector ?
It’s the most challenging decision in my gaming life because I love my collection, but I also want to make a choice that allows me to **access a vast game library in the long run** and **as cost-effectively as possible**.
Edit : [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc\_rot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot) and examples from Wii U subreddit [in 2020](https://www.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/jpr1lv/kinda_sad_to_see_even_with_the_care_i_give_my_wii/), [08.2023](https://www.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/15t0i84/all_these_games_in_my_collection_are_dead_from/), [10.2023](https://www.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/15tha7u/disc_rotspots_is_real/) and [01.2024](https://www.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/190f5tr/is_this_disc_rot/)
by Carl-C-1