Check prices sold or Pricetracking, rather than prices on eBay. They went insane like anyone on Linkedin did.

I didn't bother including those in my criticism, because they are too expensive and will likely remain so for a good while yet, and for some games will be complete overkill storage wise.

Though as you noted, it might be okay to have more than one game on an SSD stick, perhaps with some kind of menu. But who is gonna sell you something like that, unless we are talking a bundle I suppose.

your USB 3.0 slot can provide you with 640 megabytes per second speed, which is much better than 60MB/s with USB2.0,
same for USB sticks, and I have found on two machines, that the SD card slot goes only a little faster than the fastest USB slot, the difference is that the SD card slot deletes files twice as fast, also it depends on file structure and cluster sizes,

SDXC 1TB, NTFS,16kB cluster, copying Tomb Raider Anniversary
up to 81MB/s (stable) writing through an SD card slot,
up to 78MB/s (stable) writing through SD USB 3.0,
up to 33MB/s (stable) writing through SD USB 2.0,
SDXC 1TB, NTFS,16kB cluster, copying Dragon Age Origins
up to 81MB/sec (average 50MB/s) writing through SD card slot, deleting files max 640 objects/sec (540)
up to 78MB/sec (~ 45) writing through USB 3.0, deleting files max 320 obj/s (300)
up to 33MB/sec (~ 24) writing through USB 2.0, deleting files max 302 obj/s (280)

1tb measured speed https://www.gog.com/upload/forum/2023/11/a5d059a5b1b03001d6663f4b3a930318b64b65b2.png

you are looking for a card with high tech paired USB 3.0+ adapted and card adapter,
https://www.gog.com/upload/forum/2023/11/5dda17e1bd99e13c951c26d24a7a68f7b002f55f.png

there are dedicated (5 years warranty) products like
SanDisk 100MBs MicroSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch - 512GB310/1597
or
PNY 512GB XLR8 Gaming microSDXC Memory Card - 100MB/s, UHS-I, 4K UHD, Full HD, U3, V30, A2 - Micro SD for Portable Console Gaming
or
Silicon Power 1TB Superior Gaming Micro SDXC UHS-I (U3), V30 4K A2,High Speed MicroSD Card with Adapter,
or
Integral Gamers Edge 1TB 180MB/s INMSDX1TB10-180V30GE
etc...

best to buy two 256GB and two 512GB when on promo We could print store covers and game art on a4 printing paper and unofficial DVD covers, then smear it with wallpaper glue and spray it with a transparent varnish : D Some A4-size boxes are needed.....

I use a "San Disc Extreme Pro" microSDXC, In my country they are very popular and goes for around 30 coins @256 GB or 60 coins @512 GB. They can be used for anything portable, even games... no issue with speed. The rated write speed is 140 MB/s and rated read speed is 200 MB/s.

However, the slow UHS-I interface in most or many cases may not allow for sustained MB/s of above 100 MB/s°°, and SD cards with faster interface are either bigger (decreased versatility) or very expensive (usually used for camera professionals). So the rating is a bit fake, yet it surely will have a higher minimum speed compared to a slower card which is always more important than maximum speed. The UHS-II is pretty much obsolete because at this price range every professional would nowadays use the new CFexpress with even higher speeds. UHS-I simply is the most economical interface with the highest versatility by far.

°°There is a exception, this is the reason why a UHS-I SD card could be rated at up to 200 MB/s, because by using a "DDR208 controller" a UHS-I interface may provide up to 180 MB/s. This only works on some modern devices using such a controller (Switch is not using this controller, so it is limited to around 100 MB/s).

USB sticks are not much faster than that... and if so, it surely will not be cheaper anymore.

1 TB is available too, they go for around 90-100 coins. I never need this capacity unless i would use it as a "game drive" (not done so far).

In theory there are even faster SD cards available (up to 300+ MB/s) but the price will increase drastically and there is no need... as the drive specified is sufficiently fast for portable use.

Sure, if someone is very wealthy and simply want "the fastest possible, no matter the cost" a CFexpress SD card would be the way to go... they can achieve speeds way above 1000 MB/s; yet there is almost no device offering this interface, so it got a low versatility. Sure, a adapter may work but it would require USB 3.1 or higher (10 Gbit+) for (almost) using its full potential; even better using USB 3.2 (20 Gbit), which is finest high end. Going faster simply is very pricey and not truly useful (versatility issues) nor required in most cases.

On a side note, I just spent 33 bucks on mostly old 2nd hand covermount magazine DVDs. Excluding used Steam games, I still got this for my money:

Scrapland
Arx Fatallis
American McGee's Alice
Overlord Gold
Deathkarz
FEAR 2
Harbinger
Bet on Soldier
Necromania: Trap of Darkness
Larva Mortus
Shade: Wrath of Angels
Wheel of Time
The Stalin Subway
+ a compilation of 20 various Czech and Slovak games. Some notable ones like Numen: Contest of Heroes, Kult: Heretic Kingdoms or Daemonica.

Nothing on digital distribution can ever match this value.

This thread made me realize how much I don't miss the obnoxious noises optical drives and HDDs make. That whining always made me anxious.

This post reminds me that so many people got no clue what they talk about because most likely they have not been using the things they talk about for a eternity.

A HDD is usually used as an archive drive, so it only need to "work" in order to backup or install a new game... which is not the case during playing.

A Optical Drive is as well a "archive storage" and surprising... it is only "working" ... in term a game have to be installed. So, during playing... it is inactive and no noise at all. Makes sense as well in order to increase its lifetime because a optical drive can wear out pretty quick if it is running all the time (actually a issue on some older consoles).

Still, no gamer PC is completely noise free because for example, many people are even able to hear the "coil whine" noise of the cards coils inside a PC... and because every card may have another "coil whine"... almost inaudible or sometimes pretty audible... it is just a myth having a completely noise free PC. A inactive HDD is usually not making more noise anymore compared to the cooling-parts (it is usually quiet but never without any noise) or the "coil whine".

This is far from being the case for all games: a lot used to stream data from the disc even during gameplay, not all provided the option to copy all the game data on the hard drive.

I only really remember that being an issue with Blizzard games. Especially for Starcraft and Diablo 1. The game would also freeze whenever it needed to "respin" the disc to load a campaign voice line for example. Thought they later patched it so they could be played without the disc.

A lot of games did soundtracks from discs, though in that case, the drive mostly went low speed and don't really remember ever having noise issues for games that did.

How about 3 or 5 inch floppy disks, providing you still have your Gateway 386 MS DOS system?;--))

Regarding the classic PC games... it was dependable on the game. There was no need to let the disc "spinning" all the time, yet some companies was still doing it for DRM purpose or because of better performance (supporting the HDD). Usually every PC-CD had a serial key which was already a DRM... because without this serial key the game will not work at all. We still got a bunch of games on GOG with a serial key requirement but for the majority the serial key has been removed.

Regarding classic consoles, those was indeed (with the exception of PS3 and Xbox360) always using the drive... however... the drive was usually spinning pretty slow so the noise of most of the classic-consoles was usually almost inaudible. Some drives even had a pretty unique sound i even enjoyed... for example the noise of the Dreamcast. I know no other drive with this unique sound, so it was not a noise to me, it was a "sound" i enjoyed.

The only console that truly had sometimes a "disturbing sound" was the first models of the fat PS2. but not every model was affected. The newest models of the "fat PS2" was as well almost inaudible, yet still more noisy than a modern gamer PC. The Xbox360 was probably the only "other" console, apart from the first models of the fat PS2 that got a truly noise disc drive, yet this console was able to use a HDD. I can not remember exactly if the drive was always used, it has been nearly 20 years since i used it. As far as i remember, optionally, a game could be installed; it was not mandatory. Anyway, those 2 consoles or models are the only "sometimes disturbing" consoles i can remember.

As for PS3 and upward... the game usually has been installed there but this was not mandatory, and the BD drive used there was spinning pretty slow... so it was usually almost inaudible.

PS4 and PS5, both are installing the game, and only using the disc for a short DRM check on startup; It is then inactive after. As the optical drive is spinning with high speed, it is surely very audible, during install.

The biggest noise, during playing, is from the cooling fan... guess this is no secret. The fan is not noisy but of course... it is never completely inaudible.

I'd argue this. The CD key will always work, without relying on any 3rd party and does not require internet connection at all. And there is nothing simpler than having an Excel file where you list all the keys for all the games you have in case you ever lose the manual/key due to damage or anything else.

and a DVDx8 spin at 11MB/s : D good catch!

This proves that the speed of the medium needs to be only as fast as the year of release of a game...
Fishing for boxed games from 97'-19' in second-hand/charity shops to use on an external DVD drive...

I honestly think that for all games released up to 2024, we do not need a medium faster than 100MB/sec for any reason...
Take note that hdd copying goes to 114MB/sec https://www.tomshardware.com/features/hdd-benchmarks-hierarchy,
also, this is a limit that you Xeshra have described, Switch works up to 100MB/s while your Superfast PC/ may fly at full speed of 200MB/s.... https://nerdtechy.com/best-usb-pcie-cards

I want to give some credit to flash drives anyway, the oldest in use has 15 years, https://www.gog.com/upload/forum/2023/11/41543fb43d1dcd09d528c3433ab3de54a830a021.jpg
all drives work in all conditions.... while the working Eaget U90 128GB 40MB/s USB 3.0 full metal jacket is on a separate picture.... this one has been playing videos on TVs since 2016...

once I've been through a hoax, bought 5 USB 2 TB fake drives
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/beware_of_2tb_fake_microsd_card_and_memory_usb_sticks

this is partially why I turned to SD cards because USB flash drives go up to 256GB only,

while an original USB 3.0 micro card adapter has virtually no limits or a limit of the card and interface only,
after some market research can see that 512GB micro SDXC with a 4K+ video speed rating are cheapest for a Gigabyte when on promo

On my main machine, however, I am using the system SanDisk SSD drive with 362MB/s rated read speed normally brought to 100MB/s or less because of other parts of the pc

And external HDD for game offline installers.... real beast, a WD 2TB wdbaau0020hbk-01, 40-60MB/s, it weight over 1kg, had its power adapter, and the first folders (games, movies, prog) created.. checking... '2011 & 100% good, it would fit nicely in a cereal box, have heard it smoke sometimes : )

Pretty much in the same boat. Physical is still by far #1 to me. Nothing says "proof of ownership" like a physical thing you can interact with. As the "new" market dried up, I've recently started dabbling in pre-owned games, as it's the only way now to expand my physical library. People are often willing to part with stuff for shockingly low prices. GOG is the nearest acceptable alternative and the only digital one which I engage with. Because it's technically the closest to physical in that we get the offline installers.

Regarding the 2nd point, let's not also forget the original installers which do not get preserved in digital form. Anyone who ever installed any Westwood game from a disc can attest to that. "Warning, military software detected. Top secret clearance required!" Some also had custom music or unique designs. And yes, nobody will censor anything from your physical copy. No one will retroactively remove parts of the soundtrack because licensing ran out etc. With digital, if you hadn't bought the game before that happened, you are out of luck. And that is if you can choose to defer updates, whereas Steam for example always forces you to install any updates before launching the game, so you don't even get to choose.

And about codes in a box, that is mainly an issue for games from around 2010 on. At that point, the market was basically a minefield, where you had to carefully check, what it was that you were buying. I remember paranoidly checking any boxed games I was considering for purchase, looking for the "just a code" denomination or the fineprint/miniscule Steam logo on the back of the box to see whether there was any value in it or not. It took a shockingly long time for retailers to clearly start marking this. I even made complaints on several e-shops over here where they were not stating whether the game required activation or not or if it was tied to any platforms. Some even added this info to their catalogue based on my feedback. Not that any of that is relevant these days, but just goes to show how nobody really cared how ownership was getting snubbed from the end user.

I begrudgingly bought some boxed games that had to be activated somewhere, mostly because I only found out about GOG in 2016. Early on, even games that did require activation still included at least one disc with data with the rest having to be additionally downloaded, so it was at least some proof of purchase/ownership. Steam is still capable of installing what it can from a disc and downloading the rest (hybrid installs). Never bought a single "code only" box.

Attached screens of Doom 2016 as an example of a boxed game I bought that had to be activated on Steam. The fact I got a nice box along with at least one disc was enough for me to get over the need for activation. Because if Steam ever decided to deny me access to the game, I could easily just pirate it and beat any complainers over the head with the box :D. Had it been only a code in a box, wouldn't have touched it with a 10 foot pole.