Watch: Nintendo Say It's Unlikely That Physical Games Will Ever "100 Percent Go Away"

Skip to main content

GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love

Sign in

View Profile
Sign out

Search

Search GamesRadar+

Games
- Game Insights
- Genres
- Platforms
- Franchises
Entertainment
Hardware
- Insights
- Computing
- Peripherals
- Accessories & Tech
Deals
Video

home
Games
Entertainment
Hardware
Deals
Video

Aussie gaming magazines

Why subscribe?

Subscribe from just £3
Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
Try a single issue or save on a subscription
Issues delivered straight to your door or device

FromAU$49

Subscribe now

Trending

Best Prime Day deals
Battlefield 6
Golden Joystick Awards 2025
New Games for 2025

Don't miss these

Games Nintendo gives Switch 2 users a platform for their game-key card complaints with a survey about physical and digital games, and yes, you can say you "definitely would not buy" them

Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of a close-up of the Game-Key Card of No Sleep For Kaname Date sitting on its physical Switch 2 game box.

Nintendo Switch 2 The Switch 2's controversial game-key cards prove to be a preservation nightmare as Japan's national library refuses to use them

Super Mario "This is another attack on physical media": Watchdog group finds that Super Mario Bros Wonder is suddenly unplayable on Switch 2 without an online update

Cyberpunk CD Projekt said ditching game-key cards for Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 was "the right thing to do," and it's apparently paid off because 75% of that version's sales were physical

FPS Games Randy Pitchford said Borderlands 4 on Switch 2 would require a download, but it's worse than that – it's a game-key card

Jet The Hawk, Shadow The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog, Knuckles The Echidna, Eggman, and Tails The Fox race towards us on a variety of vehicles in Sonic Racing CrossWorlds, emerging from ring portals depicting various levels from Sonic history

Sonic the Hedgehog Sega hands physical media a win amid Nintendo's push toward digital with Switch 2 game-key cards — Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is confirmed to have "the full base game on a 64GB cartridge"

Open World Games Star Wars Outlaws is a controversial Switch 2 game-key card release, but one Ubisoft dev says that's because the standard cartridges "simply didn't give the performance we needed"

Screenshot of Mario dragon Bowser pointing in realization

Games Former PlayStation boss says "no one is in touch with their fan base more than Nintendo" and even Sony "was never this in touch" with what players wanted

Image of some Nintendo Switch games on top of a pink GamesRadar background.

Hardware Sorry Donkey Kong Bananza, these Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals are gonna keep me busy this month

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth screenshot showing Aerith, a young woman with long fair hair and a flowing white gown, singing with her arms spread wide

Final Fantasy Switch 2's controversial game-key cards "let us do things that maybe we wouldn't otherwise," says Final Fantasy 7 remake co-director, but "I really get where people are coming from in terms of their negativity"

Games Former PlayStation boss is convinced more console generations will come, but doesn't know if Microsoft will be part of them: "Watching what Xbox has been doing recently, I do get Dreamcast flashbacks"

JRPGs Octopath Traveler 0 might have a $230 collector's edition, but you're still getting a game-key card on Switch 2 for a 5GB download and no upgrade path from Switch 1

Games Nintendo reportedly asks Switch 2 owners what they think about its controversial game-key cards, and yeah, I don't think it'll be lacking in replies as players rally to "keep telling them how big b******t" they are

DK and Pauline stare at an explosion of gold in Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Bananza doesn't have Switch 2's latest firmware on the cart, which means there's still no way to play backwards compatible Switch 1 games without an internet connection

Donkey Kong Bananza DK flying around a whirlwind

Nintendo Ex-Nintendo developer says the company doesn't make new IP often because "there's no real need" when it's more "about creating a new way to play" instead of fussing over "the skin or wrapper"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Nintendo Say It's Unlikely That Physical Games Will Ever "100 Percent Go Away"

As fans reject Switch 2 game-key cards, former Nintendo marketing leads say it's unlikely that physical games will ever "100% go away," because "they realize the importance of that"

Previews

Reviews

Nintendo Switch 2

News

Trailers

GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

About Us
Contact Future's experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Review guidelines
Write for us
Accessibility Statement
Careers

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...

Nintendo Say It's Unlikely That Physical Games Will Ever "100 Percent Go Away"

Previews

We’ve played Black Ops 7 and here's 10 things you need to know

We’ve played Battlefield 6’s campaign, and it’s refreshingly PUNISHING

Pokemon Legends: Z-A feels like relearning EVERYTHING you know about Pokémon battles

The Blood of Dawnwalker is filled with smart role-playing choices that are making us hunger for more

We’ve played Claws of Awaji and it’s an ambitious yet familiar Assassin's Creed Shadows expansion

007 First Light was one of our highlights of Gamescom 2025!

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival feels like the game your parents warned you about growing up!

We played Where Winds Meet at Gamescom!

We played Dawn of War 4 and it's a stunning RTS game

We played Onimusha: Way of the Sword at Gamescom!

We played Deadpool VR at Gamescom!

We played Invincible VS at Gamescom!

We've played Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and it's the most SURPRISING racer of 2025

We played Kirby Air Riders and it's PERFECT if you've had enough Mario Kart

We've played Pokémon Legends: Z-A and its AWESOME new combat may be the way forward for the series

The Outer Worlds 2 is the next hit for true RPG sickos

We've played Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and it's the most SURPRISING racer of 2025

We played Dawn of War 4 and it's a stunning RTS game

We've played Hollow Knight Silksong and it's real, AMAZING, and a GOTY contender

We played Resident Evil Requiem and got annoyed at the protagonist. But that’s ENTIRELY the point

We've played Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and it's DEFINITELY worth the wait

Reviews

This hyper-violent samurai revenge quest will COMPLETELY hook you | Ghost of Yōtei review

Silent Hill f review | Expertly crafted horror but disappointing combat

Dying Light: The Beast review | A stunningly refined action-horror experience on every level

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds review | Even more frantic than Mario Kart World

Borderlands 4 is the best FPS we've played in 2025 – almost in spite of itself!

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater review | Still one of our favorite games of all time

What you NEED to know before playing Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

A genuine must-play for Switch 2 owners | Donkey Kong Bananza Review

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review | More Metal Gear Solid than ever (for better and worse)

Blades of Fire review | Dares to make the case for weapon degradation being good

DOOM: The Dark Ages Review | Goretastic prequel hindered by new ideas

Expedition 33 Review | THRILLING turn-based RPG with Sekiro parries

Assassin's Creed Shadows review | What you Need to Know

The Need to Know: Monster Hunter Wilds review

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review | An utterly absorbing realization of medieval life

Dynasty Warriors: Origins review | Stripped back with a focus on visceral yet tactical clashes

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: the franchise's best adventure since The Last Crusade

The 25 best games of 2024

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review | The best but most broken game of 2024

Lego Horizon Adventures review | This unlikely build fits together perfectly

Nintendo Switch 2

Pokemon Legends: Z-A feels like relearning EVERYTHING you know about Pokémon battles

We've played Pokémon Legends: Z-A and its AWESOME new combat may be the way forward for the series

We played Kirby Air Riders and it's PERFECT if you've had enough Mario Kart

Donkey Kong Bananza is an adventure that rivals Mario’s best

A genuine must-play for Switch 2 owners | Donkey Kong Bananza Review

Nintendo Switch 2's first month breakdown

Has the Switch 2 found its Super Mario Odyssey? | Donkey Kong Bananza preview

Breath Of The Wild Is Still The Superior Zelda Game

There's a new Splatoon game coming called Splatoon Raiders

The Optimal Way To Unlock Every Vehicle In Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World Is "Completely Broken"

Nintendo Say It's Unlikely That Physical Games Will Ever "100 Percent Go Away"

Moo Moo Cow Is The Best New Mario Kart World Character

7 Best Switch 2 Games So Far

Nintendo Switch 2 worth it? | Full console review

Answering Your Switch 2 Questions

Everything we know about the Duskbloods | FromSoftware's Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond preview | This monumental Switch 2 release has a LOT to live up to

Donkey Kong Bananza preview | DK’s return to the third dimension is looking worth the wait

This is what the Switch 2 eShop needs to be like

Nintendo's history of console gimmicks | Switch On Episode 9

News

This indie game takes the Pokémon Nuzlocke formula and makes it a roguelike

Will future Final Fantasy games use the same battle system as FF7 Remake?

Microsoft continues reading anything but the room

Microsoft hikes Xbox Game Pass prices again

Skyrim Grandma retires due to comments

Silksong dev warns players of scam game

The Ghoul is coming to Fallout 76

5 top upcoming movies for October

EA goes $20 billion in debt and Mass Effect 5 fans are terrified

Sonic the Hedgehog boss says a remake of Sonic Adventure isn't in the works

Silent Hill f sells over 1 million copies in just 4 days

When a game comes with a warning like this, you know it’s going to be horrifying

Turns out Yoko Taro was trying to confuse us all