If you were hoping to kickstart yourNintendo Switch 2collection with some new physical games, it looks like that might not be possible. Pre-orders for Switch 2 games have started in Japan, and it looks like most of them are going to be Game-Key Cards, which are basically physical cartridges that unlock digital downloads instead of having the actual game on them.
There are a couple of exceptions. The first-party Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, includingBreath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, will come with a cartridge that actually has the game on it.Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Editionwill have a true physical release. But besides that, all of the physical third-party launch titles are going to come with digital downloads, at least in Japan. The Switch was the best console for physical games, but the Switch 2 might end up being the worst.
Physical Forever
While I’ve fully embraced a digital-only lifestyle on PC and PlayStation 5, I still enjoy collecting Switch cartridges. Their size makes them easy to store and travel with, just like the Switch, and having them around reminds me of simpler times. I’ve been collecting Nintendo cartridges since the Game Boy Pocket came out in 1998, and I’m not planning on stopping unless I don’t have a choice.
The Switch has the best physical library too. There are more Switch exclusive games than any other console, so naturally there are more Switch-exclusive physical games. There are also some non-Switch exclusive indie games that have gotten Switch-exclusive physical releases, like Citizen Sleeper, Cave Story+, and Fight Crab. There are over 200 Switch-exclusive physical games. I’d be surprised if PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S have a dozen exclusives between them.
The Switch has been keeping physical games alive while the rest of the industry moves towards an all-digital future. But it’s starting to look like the Switch 2 is giving up on physical games too.
Is This The Beginning Of The End For Physical Nintendo Games?
Before you hit the panic button, it’s possible that the digital-only launch library isn’t indicative of what will actually be on offer for the Switch 2. These are the games that publishers wanted to get ready for the new Switch right away, so it’s possible that there just wasn’t enough time to spin up manufacturing on all of these new cartridges. Down the line, when there’s a more consistent supply chain that isn’t dedicating every single microgram of plastic to making Mario Kart World cartridges, maybe more games will have actual physical releases.
But then again, maybe not. Manufacturing physical games is significantly more expensive than distributing digital games, which means thinner margins for publishers. Considering the vast majority of sales are digital anyway, there isn’t that much incentive to keep producing physical games either. On top of that, cartridges have a limited capacity. Bigger games require higher capacity, more expensive cartridges - another factor that will discourage companies from producing physical games.
It will be a sad day when physical Nintendo games aren’t being made anymore. The Switch 2’s GameShare system - as convoluted as it may be - seems like a way to eliminate one of the biggest advantages physical games have over digital, so maybe Nintendo is indeed setting the stage to scale back on physical cartridges throughout the Switch 2 generation.
I don’t love it, but with how prevalent digital-only games have become, it doesn’t seem like there’s any way to stop it.
