An IGN graphic made the rounds on r/Witcher3 with a headline many physical fans wanted to see: "The Witcher 4 will have a physical edition even if discs go away." The post picked up more than 4,400 upvotes. But the comments quickly got more careful about what the headline actually promises.
Physical edition is not the same as physical disc
The second most upvoted comment made the key point: "Physical edition does not mean physical disc." If a console has no disc drive, there cannot be a disc for it. Another commenter expected a boxed collector's edition "with a bunch of goodies and a download code."
Some people were frustrated by that. One asked whether a box with a code inside really counts, since the box itself is not the point of owning a physical copy. Others said the headline was being shared without people reading the article.
Why DRM free came up so much
The most upvoted comment in the whole thread was not about discs at all. CD Projekt Red releases its games DRM free, and for that commenter that matters more than physical media, because you can choose how to store your game: on a disc, an external drive, a USB stick or the cloud.
Several people agreed that if the industry does go digital, DRM free games would be a fair compromise. One reply summed up the real issue neatly: disks are not the problem, "digital ownership is."
Not everyone was optimistic. One commenter argued the push toward discless consoles is about control, moving games from something you buy to something you rent, and said DRM free releases would undo that.
What about PlayStation?
Commenters linked the headline to Sony's plan to stop making discs for new PlayStation games from 2028. One noted Sony manufactures all PlayStation discs itself, so a publisher alone cannot keep discs going on PlayStation if Sony stops. Another pointed out that other media still ship physically: music on CD, vinyl and tape, and films on disc.
Our take
CD Projekt Red deserves credit for keeping physical editions and staying DRM free. Still, a code in a box is not the same as a game you can lend, resell or play in twenty years without a server. If you care about that, the games that exist on disc and cartridge today are worth holding on to, and worth trading rather than throwing away.