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YouTuber urges gamers to preserve physical media

Debbie Tubbyand
Neve Gordon-Farleigh
News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC Peter Leigh standing inside a room filled with retro technology and gadgets. He is looking directly at the camera and smiling. He is wearing a grey Sonic the Hedgehog character T-shirt with a shirt over the top and a pair of glasses.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Peter Leigh, aka Nostalgia Nerd, shares his passion for retro software, technology and video games on YouTube

In the wake of Sony announcing it will stop releasing PlayStation games on discs, a YouTuber is urging people to take extra care in preserving their physical media.

Peter Leigh, from Norwich, is known as Nostalgia Nerd on the social media platform. He said video gamers would miss the connection of owning a disc but that the format would make a comeback.

Sony announced that newly released games would only be available via digital download from January 2028.

"People think physical media is going to last forever, but it doesn't," Leigh said. "Discs tend to rot after a while if you don't store them properly. It's going to start to decay... or else you might as well get something digital instead."

Leigh talks about software and technology, games, toys and magazines from the 1970s, 80s and 90s on his YouTube channel, which has had over 100million views.

He said it is important for people to look after any type of physical media to keep it in good condition.

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC Two retro computers side by side on a desk each with a mouse and keyboard. In between them is a lamp which is turned on.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Leigh said there is still an appeal to the aesthetics of retro technology and that modern technology is "too clinical"

Disc rot is the degradation of the reflective layer of a CD which can lead to data loss or corruption over time. In severe cases, the disc can become completely unreadable.

On protecting discs, Leigh said: "Keep it in the original case because they are designed to protect it.

"Don't stack them on top of each other where it can bend the discs. Don't touch the disc because that can leave acid that erodes the disc frontage.

"Be careful when you're cleaning, clean it in circles and keep them in a good environment... they'll last a lot longer than if you put them in the attic."

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC A black Sega Mega Drive is shown on a black table, with a game cartridge inserted into the machine.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Leigh believes at some point physical media will make a comeback. Pictured is a Sega Mega Drive

Sony said the move away from discs comes "as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs".

However, Leigh does not think it will "go down well".

"People are going to miss it," he said. "When you just download games it's not the same connection. Even if they remove physical discs, I think they'll make a comeback at some point.

"I think things come in cycles and people are always excited to have something physical. They've announced this change but I don't think it's going to last."

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC A close up of a retro game. There is writing on the game which says, ARACHNOTRON on it in yellow writing.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Leigh who is passionate about software and technology from the 1970s, 80s and 90s said his children also love physical media including discs and cassettes

He said there is still an appeal to retro technology and software, whereas modern technology is "too clinical".

He said: "My kids are obsessed with physical media. They are obsessed with the fact you can go and buy media on a disc or a cassette and play it and it stops the overwhelm they have with online experiences and endless music and tracks and games to download.

"I think it keeps them grounded."

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