The gaming industry continues to move toward digital distribution. PC games rarely receive disc releases anymore, Sony plans to stop releasing physical editions starting in 2028, and Xbox allows players to add disc-based games to their digital libraries. Nintendo, however, has no intention of following its competitors by abandoning physical releases entirely.
Bill van Zyll, vice president of Nintendo’s Latin American division, reaffirmed the company’s position in an interview with blogger Coelho no Japão. According to him, Nintendo pays close attention to consumer preferences and intends to keep offering physical games.
«We focus on the preferences of our consumers and pay close attention to them. We also have a new platform that launched quite recently. The Nintendo Switch 2 has been around for a little over a year, and it supports both digital and physical media. So we have no plans to abandon physical releases. We know how much our audience likes them, so our position will be to continue remaining independent», — the executive said.
However, the statement does not necessarily mean that every physical Nintendo release will include a game cartridge. The company offers boxed editions containing either a cartridge or a code to redeem the game on the eShop. Recently, the latter option has become increasingly common.
This trend may continue, but for now, Nintendo has no plans to switch entirely to digital sales.
As a Reminder, ARC Raiders Quadruples Its Steam Player Count After the Release of the Frozen Trail Update.
