(PS4) How to Start Game without Disc + ShB Preorder Question

4/1/2019 Update

Thanks to all who replied. Based on the feedback I got I've concluded that the best route for my case is to keep the disc and purchase a digital ShB.

Reasons why I'm keeping the disc client:

The individual ARR game isn't showing up on the PS Store so I can't rebuy (nor do I really want to atm since i have to buy shb still lol)
The free trial client is currently not showing in the PS Store so I can't go this route which at some point was a viable but isn't atm.

Purchasing digital ShB is just because the actual disc stores no memory in it so for my purposes it's pointless. I already have a physical disc of that has the first 3 expacs so I don't really need another physical disc for the sake of ever needing to redownload the client/game if I ever needed to.

---original post--
Hi All,

Now that Shadowbringers is releasing this year I was wondering if there's any requirement as far as which copy I need to purchase (digital or physical) if I currently own a physical disc copy of the collector's edition with all 3 expansions (arr, hw, sb) for the PS4.

I was also trying to figure out how to go about being able to play FF XIV on my ps4 without the disc having to be inserted in the console. Based on some forums I read online apparently it's possible to do so? Some people have mentioned all you have to do is uninstall the game then go to PSN to install it again with the disc removed? But before I go through that I wanted to make sure I understood it properly.

Users mentioned that there should be a code within the physical collector's edition (not sure if I misplaced mine? it's not in there) and you can use that to install the ff xiv client on the ps4 without using the disc.

If I do need that code in the collector's edition to play FF XIV without the disc, what are my options (if any) to get the code back? Would I need to repurchase the collector's edition to get a new code or would SE be able to assist with retrieving it for me if I supply my acct/chara info?

Thanks!

Bumping thread up since this was originally posted in tech support but I guess a mod moved to general. :( Still looking for an answer.

Its a bit of a task, you have to delete the game, go to the PS store, download and install the trial, tell it you have an existing account, login, and it will let you download the game without using the disks for the future.

At least, this still worked as of a few months ago. Friend had their ps4 disk drive die and this is what I told her to do to get around the issue until she could get it fixed. You may also be able to download it from your library on the ps4 after you delete the game.

It will not effect your character set up (gear sets, macros, UI as that is part of the save file, not the game files)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valkyrie_Lenneth

Its a bit of a task, you have to delete the game, go to the PS store, download and install the trial, tell it you have an existing account, login, and it will let you download the game without using the disks for the future.

At least, this still worked as of a few months ago. Friend had their ps4 disk drive die and this is what I told her to do to get around the issue until she could get it fixed. You may also be able to download it from your library on the ps4 after you delete the game.

It will not effect your character set up (gear sets, macros, UI as that is part of the save file, not the game files)

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You shouldn't need to do the trial, when i converted mine from disc to hd i just downloaded it directly from the library after i deleted it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AltHarmony

Hi All,

Now that Shadowbringers is releasing this year I was wondering if there's any requirement as far as which copy I need to purchase (digital or physical) if I currently own a physical disc copy of the collector's edition with all 3 expansions (arr, hw, sb) for the PS4.

I was also trying to figure out how to go about being able to play FF XIV on my ps4 without the disc having to be inserted in the console. Based on some forums I read online apparently it's possible to do so? Some people have mentioned all you have to do is uninstall the game then go to PSN to install it again with the disc removed? But before I go through that I wanted to make sure I understood it properly.

Users mentioned that there should be a code within the physical collector's edition (not sure if I misplaced mine? it's not in there) and you can use that to install the ff xiv client on the ps4 without using the disc.

If I do need that code in the collector's edition to play FF XIV without the disc, what are my options (if any) to get the code back? Would I need to repurchase the collector's edition to get a new code or would SE be able to assist with retrieving it for me if I supply my acct/chara info?

Thanks!

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You can buy either copy of ShB Physical or digital, it shouldn't matter.

To play the game without the disk. I'm not too sure what I did; but you have to re download the game from digital just the ARR version and it will automatically update to SB once you update it since the code is in your PSN Services.

Any code you enter like early access will appear in your PSN Services under FFXIV ARR.

You can check there; if you don't see SB or HW under it, I wouldn't uninstall.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tsubaki75

You shouldn't need to do the trial, when i converted mine from disc to hd i just downloaded it directly from the library after i deleted it

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Just making sure so if I delete the ff xiv game from the ps4 startup menu area it should still be in the library after? o: would you happen to know where it showed up on yours? was it under games or applications? Currently I see it under my library under games but it has that little indication of whether the disc is in or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xxvaynxx

You can buy either copy of ShB Physical or digital, it shouldn't matter.

To play the game without the disk. I'm not too sure what I did; but you have to re download the game from digital just the ARR version and it will automatically update to SB once you update it since the code is in your PSN Services.

Any code you enter like early access will appear in your PSN Services under FFXIV ARR.

You can check there; if you don't see SB or HW under it, I wouldn't uninstall.

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Will I be ok to just redownload ARR digital without purchasing it? Just to clarify the initial purchase I bought was the physical collector's edition with all 3 current expansions. When I checked the PS store though it currently lists that as unavailable.

I have yet to figure out how people with physical copies are getting to play without the disc. I've tried deleting the game and going to my library and downloading it again but it just takes me to the store purchase page. I've tried looking for the free trial on the store to download and the store keeps saying unavailable, as in there's not free trial listed anywhere. Nothing. Sort of buying a digital copy of ARR I have no idea how people are playing without the disc. ><

the people I know who have done this just used the code in the game package to register then installed the game through PSN maybe it has to do with how you register it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AltHarmony

Will I be ok to just redownload ARR digital without purchasing it? Just to clarify the initial purchase I bought was the physical collector's edition with all 3 current expansions. When I checked the PS store though it currently lists that as unavailable.

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does it show the game in your PSN library?
to be clear you have already registered the game using the instructions included right?

I think my Stormblood CE arrived 'on time' before early access. But it shouldn't matter, the expansion itself is just a big patch, so it will be downloaded as usual and the code for early access gets mailed to you. irc I even continued to start the game for quite a while using the HW disc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wildsprite

the people I know who have done this just used the code in the game package to register then installed the game through PSN maybe it has to do with how you register it.



does it show the game in your PSN library?
to be clear you have already registered the game using the instructions included right?

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It shows under library under "Games" but I'm not sure if it'll disappear once I delete it. I also checked my services under the ps4 Settings > Account Management > Acct Info > Services List and it shows FF XIV under there so I believe the game should be registered correctly if that's what you mean. Tbh I'm not 100% sure anymore if I entered the code when I first set up the game (was about a year ago). I didn't have one in my case when I checked but it could very well be because I used it and then threw it away once it was entered.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burningskull

I have yet to figure out how people with physical copies are getting to play without the disc. I've tried deleting the game and going to my library and downloading it again but it just takes me to the store purchase page. I've tried looking for the free trial on the store to download and the store keeps saying unavailable, as in there's not free trial listed anywhere. Nothing. Sort of buying a digital copy of ARR I have no idea how people are playing without the disc. ><

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Yeah that's my concern too. :< If nothing else it sounds like the cd's are really pointless once you have your main set dl'd so we may as well get shb via digital since cd doesn't save space, it only helps with patch dl times from what I've heard.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AltHarmony

Yeah that's my concern too. :< If nothing else it sounds like the cd's are really pointless once you have your main set dl'd so we may as well get shb via digital since cd doesn't save space, it only helps with patch dl times from what I've heard.

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I have to have my physical version for collection purposes. ><

You can try is popping in the disk so it begins to install then take out the disk to let it finish installing without the disk.
That might work.

I switched from the disc edition to digital long time ago. You need to delete the (disc) client and purchase the ARR starter edition at ps-store. All Expansions and CE's you already own will still be available after installing the digital ed.
After getting a new edition, you will also be prompted to make a new FFXIV service account which you probably won't need anyway. Use the old one after finishing the setup.
(at the library, clients which require a disc will have label showing a disc)