Jeez... you can't redownload a PS4/PS5 game (or reinstall it from disc) as long as the game installation is already on one of the CONNECTED drives.

If you disconnect an external drive or an internal M.2-SSD (due to a hardware failure or any other reason) and then reboot the PS5, these games of course can be redownloaded or reinstalled from disc because the PS5 can't detect the installation folder anymore on the remaining drives.

I’ve lost plenty of games on misplacement (kids misplacing stuff or losing it during a loan or move) and from degradation - sometimes scratching caused by the console itself, or corrosion caused by humidity. I’d be surprised if any of my old NES games still worked - they barely worked 30+ years ago.

I’ve yet to lose a single digital purchase be it games, films, or music. And I think the future is far more promising. Hypotheticals like “Companies can take your games away!” don’t really concern me because that would open them up to lawsuits. I’m much more concerned with streaming services removing my favourite films.

Actually, that’s not entirely true, I did lose my old Minecraft account. I tried logging into it, and apparently the whole infrastructure as removed - I’m guessing a long time ago around the time of the Microsoft purchase.

So, aside from Minecraft (which was kind of a ghetto distribution that cost me like 5-7 USD), nothing.

This. Games can get delisted but being removed downright? Highly doubtful.

If the question is "Can it be removed" - as possible as your physical disc can become unplayable.

Worrying about something like that, you might as well be worried about pretty much any bad scenario and suffer anxiety from everything.

We all agree that the platform holder can do just that whenever the hell they feel like it when buying digital games. It's part of the general terms and conditions, isnt't it? Though it is a little harder for companies in europe I believe. But in any case, the answer of the question from the thread title is a clear yes. But it's not like you have much of a choice nowadays, do you? Even with physical games there is a clear trend of tieing them to some online shenanigans or don't even include the game on cartridge/disc but instead make the user download the damn thing.

I don't like it but I accepted that we as the users have failed to force our will onto the publishers. So it is what it is. Thankfully I don't enjoy modern games all that much anyway, lol. I have yet to find an exclusive game that would justify my PS5 standing around here. At least it's white so I don't notice all the dust it is collecting.