Will there be an Alan Wake 2 physical release? Digital launch explained
Will you be getting physical or learning to dig digital?
With the leaked "adorably all digital" Xbox Series X refresh and a removable disk drive on the upcoming PS5 Slim, gamers are nervous about the prospects of actually owning their favourite games.
And, being the flavour of the month, "Will there be an Alan Wake 2 physical release?" is the question on all of our lips – luckily for you, we have the digital launch explained.
The digital release isn’t the only drama surrounding the game; PC gamers were up in arms about the lofty Alan Wake 2 PC requirements needed to run the game.
The title has managed to not only weather the storm, but shine - as it has been met with endless praise, as can be seen in our Alan Wake 2 reviews round-up.
If you’re trundling through the many scares, take a gander at our Alan Wake 2 missions list to see how much unrelenting horror you’re yet to endure.
Many are no doubt keen to play it, but with so many big games having come out in October, you might be wondering, "Is Alan Wake 2 is on Game Pass?" to offer some reprieve to your bank account.
There’s been more waffling here than in Bright Falls's Oh Deer Diner, though, so we’ll crack on. Read on to see if you’ll be getting physical version of Alan Wake 2 or if you'll have to learn to dig digital.
Will there be an Alan Wake 2 physical release?
Developer Remedy has stated, "There are currently no plans to release Alan Wake 2 on disc."
This doesn’t completely rule it out, however. As there are upcoming Alan Wake 2 DLCs, Remedy may opt to wait until they are out in the wild before they release a theoretical Alan Wake 2 Collector’s Edition containing all the content.
On top of this, back in May, THQ Nordic posted on X (Formerly Twitter) that they would take up the mantle to provide a physical release in response to news the game would be all-digital.
The jury is out over whether this will come to pass - but if it does, you can count on us to let you know when and where to buy it.
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Why is Alan Wake 2 digital only at launch?
Developers Remedy have listed a number of reasons for their digital-only launch on their Alan Wake 2 FAQ page. We’ve included them just below.
- Many players have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is a digital only console…
- Secondly, not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $59.99/€59.99 and the PC version at $49.99/€49.99
- Finally, we did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game — we do not think this would make for a great experience either
So, fairly thoroughly explained, then.
Not that this will do much to abate gamers' fears of moving to an all-digital world where you can’t sell your games or lend them to a friend, as handily demonstrated by Sony with their Used Game Instructional Video.
Whether or not these days are almost behind us remains to be seen, but all signs point to it being less common with each passing year.
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