Nintendo stands by physical games as Sony embraces a digital-only future
Bill van Zyll, VP and General Manager for Nintendo in Latin America, has confirmed that Nintendo has no plans to ditch physical media.
Nintendo is steadfastly supporting physical games while Sony steers towards a digital-only future, according to Bill van Zyll, Nintendo's VP and General Manager for Latin America. Speaking to Brazilian YouTube channel Coelho no Japão, van Zyll affirmed that the company has no intention of abandoning cartridges. He emphasized that Nintendo remains "agnostic," taking into account consumer preferences.
The Nintendo Switch 2, launched less than a year ago, continues to offer both digital and physical options. However, game-key cards, which contain a license to download the full game data, have been introduced to accommodate the storage limitations of cartridges. Despite this, physical copies of Nintendo's first-party titles now cost $10 more than their digital counterparts, effective May 2026.
This price hike is attributed to increased manufacturing, packaging, and distribution costs. Nintendo claims to have offset the digital game price decrease by $10, passing savings to consumers. Although Nintendo has pledged to maintain physical releases for about six to seven more years, the future remains uncertain following Sony's phasing out of game discs.
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