even if we all want physical copies, there is what we call disc rot. even if you take care of your physical discs, due to the chemical composition of the discs channging through time, the discs will be unreadable. the only way to preserve the discs is for them to remain unopened(air-tight). even then, there's still a very slight possibility of disc rot.
PS1 and PS2 discs are susceptible to scratches, and that alone can cause disc rot. if you try to search online, there are some Blurays today (though mostly movies) that are already "rotten".
and that's why cartridges are better. although cartridges, in time, will also rot. not trying to be all-scientific here, but cartridges will be, someday, ever imagined why fridges differently vary in terms of magnet? some fridges the north end of the magnet will stick, and in some the south end of the magnet will stick. it's because the fridges, most of the time stay in one place, orient themsevles with the magnetic field of the earth. so if a fridge has always been facing North for about 5 years, its front door will attract the south end of a magnet. you can think of cartridges the same way. the magnets inside of it will soon degrade one way or another through time, since electrons can change as well. that's why it's good to have a ROM backup.
in essence, everything will rot, including Digital Download, but more likely it will rot slower. so even though i prefer a physical copy, i know it will not last forever.
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