{"id":128093,"date":"2026-05-20T01:48:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T01:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=128093"},"modified":"2026-05-20T01:48:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T01:48:43","slug":"do-you-keep-digital-games-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-you-keep-digital-games-forever\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you keep digital games forever?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_67_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-you-keep-digital-games-forever\/#Do_you_keep_digital_games_forever\" title=\"Do you keep digital games forever?\">Do you keep digital games forever?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-you-keep-digital-games-forever\/#Understanding_Digital_Game_Ownership\" title=\"Understanding Digital Game Ownership\">Understanding Digital Game Ownership<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-you-keep-digital-games-forever\/#Digital_Game_Licenses\" title=\"Digital Game Licenses\">Digital Game Licenses<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-you-keep-digital-games-forever\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_you_keep_digital_games_forever\"><\/span>Do you keep digital games forever?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>As a <strong>digital game<\/strong> owner, you have the right to keep your games as long as you maintain your account and the <strong>game&#8217;s license<\/strong> is valid, but it&#8217;s essential to note that you don&#8217;t <strong>own<\/strong> the game outright, you only have a <strong>license to play<\/strong> it. The <strong>digital game<\/strong> is tied to your account, and as long as the <strong>game&#8217;s servers<\/strong> are active and you have a valid <strong>license<\/strong>, you can continue to play and enjoy your <strong>digital games<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Digital_Game_Ownership\"><\/span>Understanding Digital Game Ownership<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The concept of <strong>digital game ownership<\/strong> has sparked a lot of debate in the gaming community, with many players wondering if they truly <strong>own<\/strong> their digital games. In this article, we will delve into the world of <strong>digital gaming<\/strong> and explore the concept of <strong>ownership<\/strong> in the digital realm.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Digital_Game_Licenses\"><\/span>Digital Game Licenses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you purchase a <strong>digital game<\/strong>, you are essentially buying a <strong>license to play<\/strong> the game, which is tied to your account and the <strong>game&#8217;s servers<\/strong>. This means that as long as the <strong>servers<\/strong> are active and you have a valid <strong>license<\/strong>, you can continue to play and enjoy your <strong>digital games<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Will I ever lose my digital games?<\/strong> No, as long as you maintain your account and the <strong>game&#8217;s license<\/strong> is valid, you won&#8217;t lose your <strong>digital games<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do I own digital games on my PS4?<\/strong> No, when you buy a <strong>digital copy<\/strong> of a game on your <strong>PS4<\/strong>, you don&#8217;t <strong>own<\/strong> the game, you just have a <strong>license to play<\/strong> it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can I play my digital games on any console?<\/strong> Yes, as long as the <strong>game<\/strong> is available on the <strong>console<\/strong> and you have a valid <strong>license<\/strong>, you can play your <strong>digital games<\/strong> on any <strong>console<\/strong> associated with your account.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What happens to my digital games if my console breaks?<\/strong> Your <strong>digital games<\/strong> are tied to your account, so if your <strong>console<\/strong> breaks, you can simply log in to your account on a new <strong>console<\/strong> and <strong>re-download<\/strong> your games.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can digital games sell out?<\/strong> No, <strong>digital games<\/strong> don&#8217;t <strong>sell out<\/strong>, as they are just a bunch of <strong>zeroes and ones<\/strong> that can be easily replicated.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How long do digital game codes last?<\/strong> <strong>Digital game codes<\/strong> do not expire, so you can keep them until you need to <strong>redeem<\/strong> them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Will consoles go all digital?<\/strong> Yes, the <strong>gaming industry<\/strong> is moving towards an <strong>all-digital<\/strong> future, with many <strong>consoles<\/strong> and <strong>games<\/strong> already available in <strong>digital-only<\/strong> format.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is digital the future of gaming?<\/strong> Yes, <strong>digital gaming<\/strong> is the <strong>future<\/strong> of the <strong>gaming industry<\/strong>, with many <strong>games<\/strong> and <strong>consoles<\/strong> already available in <strong>digital-only<\/strong> format.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How long until a game becomes public domain?<\/strong> In the United States, <strong>video game copyright<\/strong> lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can a digital game be resold?<\/strong> No, as long as a <strong>software provider<\/strong> sells you a <strong>license to reproduce<\/strong> their <strong>software<\/strong>, you are barred from <strong>reselling<\/strong> that <strong>license<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do I keep my digital games on PS5?<\/strong> Yes, <strong>PS Digital Store games<\/strong> are associated with your <strong>PSN account<\/strong>, not with your <strong>console<\/strong>, so you can play them on your <strong>PS5<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can you play PS4 all day?<\/strong> Yes, modern <strong>consoles<\/strong> are built like <strong>computers<\/strong>, so you can leave them on 24\/7 if you want to.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is it cheaper to buy Switch games digitally?<\/strong> No, <strong>digital copies<\/strong> of <strong>Nintendo games<\/strong> generally cost the same amount of money as <strong>physical copies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is there a limit to how many games you can have on a Nintendo Switch?<\/strong> Yes and no, there is a limit to the amount of <strong>storage space<\/strong> on your <strong>Nintendo Switch<\/strong>, but you can always <strong>upgrade<\/strong> your <strong>storage<\/strong> or <strong>delete<\/strong> games to make room for new ones.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What happens when you buy a digital game from Nintendo?<\/strong> When you buy a <strong>digital game<\/strong> from <strong>Nintendo<\/strong>, it will automatically <strong>download<\/strong> to the <strong>system<\/strong> associated with your <strong>Nintendo Account<\/strong>, as long as you have enough <strong>memory space<\/strong> and an active <strong>internet connection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you keep digital games forever? As a digital game owner, you have the right to keep your games as long as you maintain your account and the game&#8217;s license is valid, but it&#8217;s essential to note that you don&#8217;t own the game outright, you only have a license to play it. The digital game &#8230; <a title=\"Do you keep digital games forever?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/do-you-keep-digital-games-forever\/\" aria-label=\"More on Do you keep digital games forever?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128093\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}