My Approach to Modern Game Collecting

I recently wrote about how to make gaming more affordable, and I thought it would be interesting to follow up with a little something explaining how I collect these days and why.

As you may have gathered from my “Gaming Is Expensive: Here’s How to Make It More Affordable” piece, I rarely buy games during their initial release window and generally wait until they get their first significant price cut. (October will be a little different, as I currently have two highly anticipated games that I can’t wait to tear into.) This gives me more options when it comes time to buy a game.

One thing I look for is whether a game has a Sony PlayStation 4 release. For a while now, I’ve been using the PS4 as my modern-day base console. Generally, PS4 games look and play better than titles on the original Nintendo Switch (more on this later) and are, more often than not, completely available on disc and playable without an internet connection.

The nice thing about more recent PS4 releases is that many of them offer a free or inexpensive PS5 upgrade path. For example, when Metaphor: ReFantazio was released physically, I noticed that a PS4 version was also coming. Unfortunately, it wasn't getting a physical release in North America, so I chose to wait for a small price cut and import the game. I did something similar with Yuzo Koshiro's Earthion.

What I like about PS4 hardware, at least for the time being, is that it's relatively inexpensive and readily available used at most pawn shops. Along with a PS5, I own two PS4 units: a standard launch-period model and a PS4 Pro. This means I'm equipped to play on literally every screen I have at home. And if one of the units dies, I can easily find replacement hardware for cheap.

To add some modern conveniences to my PS4 units, I've added a 512GB SSD to both of them. Luckily, I got them well before there was any sign of a RAM and memory shortage. I also added an external 1TB spinning hard drive to each console. Since PS4 games generally require less storage space than their PS5 counterparts, I can install a lot more games on them than I can on a PS5.

Games run relatively well on an SSD, and the reduced load times make them feel less sluggish and more modern. When playing a PS4 Pro-enhanced title, I often find it hard to spot any differences when comparing it with the same game on a PS5, especially with earlier PS5 releases. To me, the main differences between a PS4 Pro equipped with an SSD and a PS5 generally come down to slightly lower resolutions and frame rates. In many cases, when a title is PS4 Pro Enhanced, those differences can be negligible. Again, this is just my observation, not the result of any scientific testing.

We still get newer releases on PS4, although they've slowed down considerably in 2026. If a game isn't available on PS4, I check whether an original Nintendo Switch version exists and whether it meets my requirements. Before committing to a Switch release, I verify whether all the content is available on the cartridge and whether the game runs solidly at 30 frames per second, at a minimum. The Switch is pretty much my handheld RPG machine, and it's my preferred way to play Square Enix's HD-2D releases.

I also enjoy being able to dock the Switch and play on my main TV when needed. The games I play upscale fairly well on my Sony Bravia, too.

Like the PS4, the Switch is also relatively inexpensive and easy to find used which is important for my preservation needs.

If a game I want isn't available on either PS4 or Switch, then I choose whether to get it on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. The decision has become much easier nowadays, thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere and Microsoft's new disc-to-digital initiative, which allow me to play on Xbox and on my ROG Xbox Ally.

The only downside to the Xbox ecosystem is that the majority of Xbox Series X titles aren't fully playable from the disc alone and require a download after the disc is inserted into the console. However, the disc-to-digital initiative makes this an easier pill to swallow for the time being. That said, it's not ideal for games I want to preserve in my collection.

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