advantages and disadvantages between buying physical and digital pc games?

[shadybk]

I am just about to build my first gaming pc and I don't know what the advantages and disadvantages of buying physical or digital games are? On consoles I always buy physical because you can resell them in the future and I think it's just safer but I don't know about pc?

1. can you share phisical games with firends or resell them? or do they come with a product key so once you play the game only you can play it on your pc?

2. can you play digital games without an internet connection after you download them?

3. if my hard drive fails or I build a new pc in the future will I be able to redownload all of my digital games again? what about the phyical games that I already have used the product key for?

4. If I do buy digital, what is the best place to buy them from steam?

My worst fear with digital is that if something happens to my computer I won't be able to download them again.

I am not looking for an answer, just a discussion of the differences between buying physcial and digital pc games

thanks in advance

 

[Voodoo_man]

1. I don't normally buy physical copies, but the ones I have bought came with Product keys, so yes you cant sell them.

2. It depends on the game, if the game is of strictly online nature such as an MMO, yes you need a connection, most games with single player you can play without it though.

3. I have yet to meet a Online platform that wont let you re-download your games. Ive installed my games on multiple rigs in the lifetime of my steam account. As for physical games, if you have linked the key with your account, your good to go.

4. Steam offers many of sales, the lord Gabe Newell will treat you well. There are also sites like G2A, but im not totally sure of the sellers on those sites. If you have to pick between G2A and Steam, and Steams product is only 2 dollars more, go with steam, its quality assurance. I can't say the same for the game you buy.

No need to worry about your fear, as long as you remember your password and keep it to yourself, your all set.

As for my opinion on physical/digital copies, neither of them are guaranteed to last forever, say steam was to shutdown, which is not likely for a long time, those copies are gone. Im not saying the physical copies are protected either, those disc have a shelf life I think. I go for the digitals for the ease of access.