Nintendo says Switch 2 physical cartridges are here to stay
A Nintendo executive has confirmed that the company will keep releasing physical Switch 2 games despite rising production costs. The statement follows Sony’s decision to end physical PlayStation game production after January 2028. Nintendo said it weighs consumer preference heavily and noted that Switch 2 supports both physical and digital formats.
Sony's decision to halt physical PlayStation game production after January 2028, attributed to shifting buyer habits, has reshaped the disc debate. One report said only seven PlayStation titles surpassed 100,000 physical US sales this year. Criticism and a planned boycott reportedly had no measurable effect.
Microsoft responded with a free physical-to-digital conversion program. Nintendo's Bill van Zyll told Brazilian creator Coelho no Japão that Switch 2, barely over a year old, supports both formats and has no plans to abandon cartridges. Nintendo previously set separate physical and digital pricing, saying this reflected distribution costs and preserved choice; it later said physical game costs were not rising and US digital MSRPs would be lower.
Nintendo's commitment could reassure players who value collecting, lending, reselling, or playing without downloads. Retailers and secondhand markets may keep a role if cartridges remain viable. As one major platform moves toward digital-only releases, consumers could face fewer ownership options and more dependence on account-based libraries, though conversion programs may soften that shift. The outcome may influence how broadly games remain accessible over time.