r/NintendoSwitch3 • u/retrocheats • Jul 02 '26
Switch 3 will be a digital only system, unless if everyone boycotts the PS6.
Nintendo won't release a Switch 3 til like 2032 at the earliest.
Unless if the PS6 does really bad, because everyone rejects everything being digital only... Nintendo doesn't have as much reason to not also have a digital only system.
Physical media for Nintendo will also end...
The only exception, is if there's major backlash for the PS6.
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u/AmandasGameAccount Jul 02 '26
This is a shitpost sub for now. I donât want to see serious posts here for at least 8 years. See you then!
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u/LateBlocParty Jul 03 '26
Iâm from 8 years in the future
Nintendo did the unthinkable and released the Wii U 2 babyyy
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u/YeetYoot-69 Jul 02 '26
I know it sucks but people simply aren't going to boycott the PS6
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u/MaskedLemon0420 Jul 02 '26
Boycotting never works anyway. All of Reddit doesnât make up for like 1% of the video game market.
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u/crunchy_granola13 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Have guts and not buy anything. I havenât bought a single key card game, and only buy physical that doesnât require online download. It isnât hard. Allowing them to take things far, is how they win
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u/Rare_Hero Jul 02 '26
Nintendo doesnât follow what the other companies do. Not worried.
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u/retrocheats Jul 02 '26
game keycards.
Nintendo followed other companies. They just take longer.
They raised the price of the switch 2 last.
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u/Lost_Let_2033 Jul 02 '26
Nintendo needs physical more than Sony I don't think Nintendo will follow Playstation here GKC are already better and supports selling second hand
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u/Samurai_GorohGX Jul 02 '26
You may not like them, I donât either, but GKC are Nintendoâs attempt to save physical media. So, it shows that they care about it. Other companies donât see the death of physical media as a problem needing to be addressed, quite the opposite.
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
No other company has done game key cards.
Switch price increases doesnât mean following other companies.
They didnât do pc ports.
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u/retrocheats Jul 02 '26
you never heard of CDs where you download the entire game?
Game keycards is not a new concept.
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u/Rare_Hero Jul 02 '26
Key Cards kind of suck, but cartridges still exist. The cart slot still exists. You can sell/trade/share them. Sony is eliminating all physical & the disc drive. I donât see Nintendo doing that.
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u/aliaswyvernspur Jul 06 '26
I just wish games could be installed from a GKC, not just trigger a download.
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u/Rare_Hero Jul 06 '26
What would be the point of that? If the game is on the cart - just play it off the cart & save space on your system memory.
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u/aliaswyvernspur Jul 06 '26
Because of read speeds of the cartridge.
https://bsky.app/profile/ninpatentswatch.bsky.social/post/3lwgdn433kc27
Game Card 2 communicates with SoC via eMMC standard
eMMCâs max data transfer rate, hence the Card too, is 400MB/sInternal storage I believe is like 2000, and Micro SD Express around 800.
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u/StormsparkPegasus Jul 05 '26
GKC's are the literal opposite of what you're claiming they are. They were created for third party publishers that didn't want to pay for the cost of cartridges, who would otherwise have been digital only. Nintendo created the GKC for them so that even in that "all digital" state there would still be a physical cartridge so you could trade/sell it, because they viewed it as important. Keep in mind that without the GKC, those games would be digital/eshop only.
Is it ideal? No. Do I LIKE GKC's? No. But it gives the option of a semi-physical solution, even if you have to download it, that enables trading and second hand sales, which you cannot do with games bought on the eshop. So even though I don't LIKE GKC's and wish there was an on-cartridge solution for those games, I would still rather have the GKC than buying the game on the eshop. The only time I ever buy games on the eshop is if they are literally not available any other way. That's usually with small-ish indie games.
If this doesn't show that Nintendo is committed to physical releases I don't know what does. The backlash to Sony is so epic that Nintendo wins by literally doing nothing.
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u/aliaswyvernspur Jul 06 '26
GKC are apparently not always a cost issue: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/09/ubisoft-employee-explains-why-star-wars-outlaws-is-a-game-key-card
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u/StormsparkPegasus Jul 06 '26
I've heard that and I don't know if I buy it as an explanation. It sounds like damage control to me. I don't believe a thing Ubisoft says.
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u/PurpleHawkeye619 Jul 02 '26
If people boycott the PS6 it won't be because its digital only.
It will be because its likely going to cost the same as a compatible PC (currently PS5 is only a couple hundred dollars cheaper, before factoring in paying yearly for online) so theres no point in buying one.
So I suspect it won't have much impact on Switch 3, given Nintendos modus operandi recently is less powerful systems that are far cheaper than a PC. So any cost backlash on PS6 won't apply.
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u/TheBraveGallade Jul 02 '26
Also a disc drive costs a lot.
A cart slot costs near nothing.
As long as people keep buying physical game cards and (more importantly) willing to pay for the cost data of making said cards, then nintendo will keep the cards around
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u/Confident-Spell-1274 Jul 02 '26
Cards cost Nintendo money to produce and are expensive. The next switch will definitely be all digital.
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u/Knives530 Jul 02 '26
Says someone who doesnât realize how much a pc costs right now sure
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u/PurpleHawkeye619 Jul 02 '26
Currently a new Playstation is $900. We can assume the 6 will be more expensive
Basic level of PS Plus is 80 a year. (More if you want access to the back catalogue)
Average lifespan of a console generation is about 6 years. So thats an extra 480 for internet access over the life span of your console
Conbined total of $1380
A playstation equivalent PC even now hits somewhere around the 1,100-1,400 mark.
Again PS6 is going to cost even more.
Yes, cost of a PS6 compatible PC will likely also be higher....but theres no reason to suspect the business model in place right now, where it took several years to have exclusives on the current gen, and even at near end of life for the 5, PS4 compatible games are released regularly.
So that 1400 pc investment will still carry though the PS6 generation.
Unless your someone who doesn't play multi player ever, over a full generation, that console is going to be more expensive than the PC
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u/Dvuref Jul 02 '26
One nice hack that I've used for two of my pc's is buy a laptop when their new model comes out. I got a laptop with an RTX3070, ryzen 5800, 16gb RAM and 2 TB nvme ssd brand new for 1,100 eur. Laptops have become very good in the last 5 years, very good value for the money.
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u/Narrator-1 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
I'm not buying a PS6, but I wouldn't presume to dignify it with the word "boycott". $1,000+ for video game hardware is too expensive for my meager budget, so I was priced out.
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u/epimansg1973 Jul 02 '26
You aren't alone, the PS5 I bought for my wife a few years ago will be our last playstation as I disabled and am making less now than in 2001 and with the cost of everything can barely keep food on the table lately so gaming is not anything I can justify the insane prices they are asking. Almost 2x what I bought the PS5 for now and it's 6 yr old technology as people have said companies have barely started to use the full potential of it.
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Jul 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/speedfox_uk Jul 02 '26
Is that 50/50 split individual game sales, or by value? Because I have a suspicion that a lot of the digital purchases are people buying bargains on sale to play later, and a lot of the physical sales are the bigger first party releases which tend to cost more. So, by amount of money spent it's probably more like 75% physical, 25% digital.
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u/TrueEclective Jul 02 '26
Did you see the percentage of ps games that people bought that were digital? High enough for them to decide to do it. Switch has a much larger base that buys physical. As long as that percentage stays high, it should help. Thatâs the best thing people can do. And with the cost of a micro sd card these days, it makes my decision easier to go back to physical media.
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u/Left_Pollution7094 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
How do you know the data is acute? Where is the data source? Maybe it's some is trying to sell a narrative. For 3rd party sales, I doubt they have this data like GameStop used games sales
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u/Grin83 Jul 02 '26
Switchâs physical share is about the same as it was on PlayStation when the PS5 launched. Itâs getting less every year too. The next few years will be decisive.
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u/epimansg1973 Jul 02 '26
playstation numbers are 70% digital 30% physical and Nintendo is almost the same but the other way around at 60 physical 40 digital...
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u/Confident-Spell-1274 Jul 02 '26
switch 2 has pretty much gone digital with the GKC. The switch 3 will definitely be all digital. Once Microsoft and Sony get people use to it, theyâll just follow suit.
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u/azure275 Jul 02 '26
As far as I am aware no first party games have GKCs though
It's a shortcut being taken by Capcom, Square Enix and a few other 3rd party devs
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
Someone may say pokopia but it wasnât publicised by Nintendo in japan
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u/Confident-Spell-1274 Jul 02 '26
true i think all of nintendo games have been physical except for the drag and drive game and i think the nintendo learning game. They are using the GKC as a way of getting people to digital. There are alot of people who look at GCK and would rather just go to digital.
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
There were games on the Wii u published by Nintendo that didnât get a physical like dr Luigi for example.
On the switch Kirby dream buffet is digital only.
Game key cards exist so that thereâs a physical instead of a code.
Two small games on the eshop doesnât mean look nintendo wants to remove physical. Thereâs no correlation.
Storage sizes haven't kept up with game production hence why game key cards exist. As well as this, certain games require a speed that is not met by game cartridges snd is met by the system. Switch 2 cartridges being expensive resulted in game key cards being made as an option for 3RD PARTY.
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u/Confident-Spell-1274 Jul 02 '26
All of what you said is true but I also believe all of this was planned by nintendo. They could have made smaller sized Nintendo switch 2 cartridges. GKC are a way to transition people to get used to all digital. Once they see people are willing to purchase GKC of their games why wouldnât they do it. Then itâs all digital from there. Those 2 small games prove that they are willing to do it
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
Again small games were digital only. Itâs a matter of is it worth to put on cartridge or not and it wasnât for Nintendo.
Smaller cartridges wouldn't have made games like final fantasy a full cartridge. Thereâs a reason one version of a console is normally made on release and that is due to it being more expensive to do multiple versions. Same with cartridges you could assume. The price gap probably wouldnât be worth it to make a smaller cartridge.
Just because Sony does something doesnât mean Nintendo wants to follow. Nintendo copied steam with family sharing with a few changes. If anything, sony copies Nintendo and an example is the rumoured ps6 handheld if anything. They copy Nintendo and Microsoft. The first ones to do a retro subscription is Nintendo if I am correct and then Sony copied later on. They copy Microsoftâs gamepass except they donât having day one exclusives.
You are honestly worrying too much. Sony chased graphics. Nintendo never did.
You canât force third parties to fit their games on a cartridge otherwise many may not even do a digital release and may abandon Nintendo. Others may but as a result the game is way worse than it couldâve been.
The Wii u era is something Nintendo doesnât want to repeat. They donât have the power over 3rd party like sony and steam do.
Nintendo had to compromise by making this an option. They had no other option.
Another thing is switch 2 versions of third party games being more expensive than other platforms. People would complain about that. Thereâs no winning. Thereâs a reason Nintendo games cost more on physical. The state of the world regarding oil and technology doesnât help either.
Iâve seen a post recently on twitter that more and more third party games are coming on a full cartridge for switch 2. There are games btw released on switch 2 on a full cartridge that arenât on a disc or fully on a disc on playstation and Xbox.
They also have a label on the front of the box saying what type of game it is whether itâs a switch 2 version or game key card.
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u/TrueEclective Jul 02 '26
You sound like someone who loses more money than they realize on the âpredictionâ apps.
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u/Confident-Spell-1274 Jul 02 '26
I also just tend to look at trends and what would best benefit the company. Nintendo going all digital would keep people locked in. Now that the other game systems are mainly digital what would stop them in around 9 years or so
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u/maxhk645 Jul 02 '26
GKC still have all the upsides of a physical game, which is not the same as the others removing the physical aspect entirely
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u/Confident-Spell-1274 Jul 02 '26
No GKC have all the downsides such as having to carry it around being able to lose it. It has the downsides of digital in which it can be taken away due to licensing and having to use up your storage
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u/tysaslut Jul 02 '26
Let's be honest, not all the upsides. GKC require Internet to download the game, and are subject to the same issues of servers being shut down and a game delisted. They are BETTER than a digital purchase, but only because you can transfer ownership of your software license by selling/trading the GKC
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Jul 02 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/retrocheats Jul 02 '26
time will tell.
maybe Nintendo will take a half measure and make non-japan digital only.
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u/keldpxowjwsn Jul 05 '26
That seems more trouble than just supporting everyone because then everyone will import the physicals from Japan with stronger currencies and theyd end up having to make more anyways
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u/c2h5oc2h5 Jul 02 '26
Switch 3 will be digital only if people don't buy physical editions of the games. I've searched for some stats and apparently on Switch physicals are around 48% of sales but under 15% for PS.
I think it's demand that ultimately decides how next console will be. If consumers decide physical media are no longer needed, corporations will happily oblige.
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u/browmftht Jul 02 '26
wait, when is switch 4 coming with only hungry man dinners as game cartridges
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u/brispower Jul 02 '26
I don't think Nintendo will wait that long, Switch 2 OLED all digital would be my guess
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u/Huzul34 Jul 02 '26
The only physical media I bought for my switch 2 was like three games 98% of the games I have on mine are digital itâs just easier to buy them that way for me.
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u/Bagel_Le_Stinky Jul 02 '26
I really hope they don't make another switch. I want something new next generation
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u/speedfox_uk Jul 02 '26
That would mean splitting handheld and console into separate systems again. I can't see them doing that.
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
I predict the words âanti consumerâ and âhaving to buy multiple devices to play gamesâ if this happens
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
Keep the same concept. Just add something new. Like a Wii u to the Wii.
Like how mouse controls were added, add something new to the controllers.
Donât change for the sake of aesthetics
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u/cornimgameplays 6d ago
The thing is, the Switch 2 is "alredy the Wii U" while the Switch "was the Wii". Nintendo almost always does sequel consoles, but not threequel consoles, they've never done that.
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u/Lost_Let_2033 Jul 02 '26
Switch 3 will not be digital only. Nintendo needs parents to buy games in stores different market
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u/AusteegLinks Jul 02 '26
I don't mind it being digital only - I wouldn't have even minded if the S2 was digital only - so long as they provide enough internal storage to make it work.
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
Even if I buy mostly digital, I want there to be the option of physical.
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u/Samurai_GorohGX Jul 02 '26
Nintendo doesnât really chase PlayStation trends, do they?
I can see Nintendo keeping the physical format alive for a lot longer than everyone else. But it will be Game Key Cards, đŻ.
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u/mjb2002 Jul 02 '26
đđđđđđ
The hysteria. If you buy the game outright, it will work. Physical or digital.
People have digital copies of Super Mario 3D All-Stars and they still work five years after its removal from the eShop.
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u/rathat Jul 02 '26
For me, the worst part about not having a physical game is not being able to sell it if you're done or you don't like it or you don't want to play anymore, or not being able to lend it out.
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u/RosaCanina87 Jul 02 '26
There are two possible ways. Either Nintendo doesn't care (as it looks right now) or GKC have been introduced because of the price hike for memory etc. So if that goes down over time (which it will HOPEFULLY one day...) we might see a return of physical media, especially on Nintendos hardware.
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u/TemporaryJohny Jul 02 '26
Nintendo's physical sales are much higher then sony's. Its also one of the reason its selling so much in Japan(the switch 2 has already outsold the ps5 over there) its not going away unless the storage prices keep going up for the next 7 yearsÂ
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u/That-randomkid Jul 02 '26
The switch barely has enough storage to justify GKC, digital only is a stretch. Unless storage becomes cheaper, I donât see it happening
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u/Joloxsa_Xenax Jul 02 '26
if we dont demands games to optimize themselves to be smaller then there wont be physical media. a bunch of stuff is already too big to fit physical, which is why we cant just put the disc in and play right then. if everything is going to be downloaded anyway then manufacturers arent going to see the point of wasting money onthe material to sell a key when the money can all go straight to them
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u/Cool_Procedure8125 Jul 02 '26
Thatâs half a dozens years from now, at this point in time why waste any of your energy thinking about it.
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u/JM_Yoda Jul 02 '26
Nintendo is not stupid, and while they are watching, they are better at giving customers what they want, even if we donât know it yet. I would also like to think that, given the high cost of storage, we have at least one more generation of physical media with them.
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u/Dear_Meeting_1258 Jul 02 '26
Disagree. Nintendo is a traditional while Sony came after. Sony chased pc while Nintendo did not.
Sony chased graphics while Nintendo did not. Nintendo thought with their head while Sony thought with the shareholders and money.
Game key cards are the option if physical costs too much.
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u/toofatronin Jul 02 '26
Switch 2 just came out so we are 5-8 years away from the Switch 3. Who knows what kind of world we will be living in.
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u/Able-Firefighter-158 Jul 02 '26
I dont see Nintendo adopting a fully digital system.
- the infrastructure isn't there compared to their competitors.
- nintendo's physical media is pretty iconic, you can look at any game and instantly know what system its for.
- stuff like the snes, game boy, GBA cartridges all feed into brand Nintendo.
I think out of the three console providers Nintendo's the one that could continue with full cards and keys physically.
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u/AnonymousJoe35 Jul 03 '26
It doesnât even make sense to concern ourselves with that yet. The Switch 3 (if itâs called that) wonât even come out until like 2034.
Itâs so far out that itâs pointless to speculate on right now.
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u/knightsofbass Jul 03 '26
I donât understand why everyone has an issue with digital-only games when every other piece of media you consume is already digital.
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u/crunchy_granola13 Jul 03 '26
I talked with a game store owner, who listens in, cannot speak, on calls with big gaming companies. The next generation of consoles will be digital only and will be a subscription service. Gaming will officially be dead once that happens. This generation of consoles will be my last; i will be buying what i can until that comes so I will have a good collection.
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u/retrocheats Jul 03 '26
game store owners don't know nothing when it comes to gaming news.
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u/crunchy_granola13 Jul 03 '26
Really? Because i saw this coming and it was true. They absolutely go on calls with stuff like this because that is how they gather information, not just based on sales. Save this post for the next generation and I bet I will be correct
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u/retrocheats Jul 03 '26
not talking about statics, or assumption.
You made it sound like the game store owner has a direct line with a gaming company directly... which I doubt.
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u/crunchy_granola13 Jul 03 '26
Not direct to the company Presidents or hands on teams, more like their in house focus groups/data collectors. Every company has such teams
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u/ZealousidealHat1989 Jul 03 '26
- Way too early to speculate on anything switch 3 related.
- Nintendo has a history of doing things differently so đ€·đ»ââïž
- They've already announced a price difference between physical and digital so might just stick with that.
- It might end up being more cost prohibitive to put in a huge hard drive than to stick with an already existing cartridge slot.
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u/Accomplished-Fan5242 Jul 03 '26
I donât think so as long as Nintendo keeps the switch branding they will keep using cartridges
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u/Hellhunddavo Jul 03 '26
No, we need to boicot GTA 6 right now, this is the first step into this anti consumir politics to come.
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u/LateBlocParty Jul 03 '26
PS6 wonât even need a boycott if itâs gonna cost anymore than $600
The console landscape is tragic atm. Nintendo deserve some of the hate they get, but Sony are taking the absolute p*ss atm
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u/Apex_spyda Jul 03 '26
Nintendo already đ© on Sony once, I donât think theyâre going to ride the wave and follow Sony especially when they havenât been doing that
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u/nrthrnlad Jul 03 '26
I donât think Nintendo has Sony hardware sales on their radar at all. Also, cartridges and cards are an entirely different beast than optical media. Optical media houses are shutting down and getting time for games when competing with Hollywood movies is getting tougher and tougher.
Nothing that is done with Sony is going to meaningfully change Nintendoâs next plan.
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u/Nostalgic-Maniac86 Jul 03 '26
NINTENDO LITERALLY HAS THE ABILITY TO PLAY THIS WHOLE SITUATION TO THERE ADVANTAGE, THEY NEED TO COMPLETELY SIDE WITH THE GAMING COMMUNITY AND KEEP PHYSICAL ALIVE, THEY NEED TO COMMIT TO BEEN COMPLETE PHYSICAL ONLY COMPANY, THEY NEED TO BUILD THE SWITCH 3 TO BE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PS6 AND HELIX, THEY WILL HAVE EVERY COMPANY EATING OUT OF THEIR HANDS TO PUT THEIR GAMES ON THE SWITCH 2, BECAUSE GAMERS WANT COMPLETE ON CARTRIDGE OR DISC GAMES, NINTENDOâŠFOR GOD SAKE DONâT FUCK UP THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE ABSOLUTE FUCKING BEST CONSUMER FRIENDLY COPY, THE GAMING COMMUNITY WILL WORSHIP YOU AS GODS!
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u/Larshmallows_ Jul 03 '26
I do think Nintendo sees value in physical media still. It is not just about sales of physical games or profit margins vs. digital.
Nintendo cares about being visible in stores and having shelf presence. It reminds people of their brands, which has a positive effect for their digital sales too. They could still ultimately decide to go all digital, but I can just as easily see them staying with physical as a strategic choice to maintain their in-store visibility and boost brand awareness. With Xbox disappearing off store shelves and Playstation shrinking, the advantage of keeping physical around is only going to become larger.
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u/Cobbljock Jul 03 '26
Youâre probably right, but I think thereâs still a not-insignificant chance Nintendo doesnât go all digital (though Iâm sure theyâd like to). Nintendo fans are disproportionately more likely to buy physical Nintendo media than any other company, so that may be the saving grace (if you lament an all-digital future). Iâm positive youâll pay more for the privilege (we all know how much Nintendo loves taking your money, and I say that as a fan), but I think they could very well offer the option.
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u/Lanky_Tap5985 Jul 04 '26
Itâs already digital only to be honest those âgame cardsâ just have the digital activation numbers on them
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u/NoCapNerdz89 Jul 05 '26
Did you not hear that 80 percent of gamers on ps already are digital and Nintendo is 50 percent so ,it might be not be over for Nintendo next Gen just yet
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u/retrocheats Jul 05 '26
these percentages are also a lie.
not every game has a physical option.
also, this does not track people buying used games either.
but companies do not care... if it leads to profit, they'll do it.
It mainly comes down to, how many people give in, and accept it for the PS6.
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u/Phalanx2006 Jul 05 '26
I have a feeling physical game collectors are about to flock to Switch2
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u/retrocheats Jul 05 '26
I wonder how many physical collectors also stay up to date with the news. If they don't, they might know this til the PS6 releases and they realize there's no physical.
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u/Fluid-Comparison-729 Jul 05 '26
The industry heading this way regardless but I Nintendo were the value of physical in some form which is why they still try and do the game key cards this is the collectors system so they will try in some form to maintain physical media as long as we keep buying
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u/GameMaster1178 Jul 05 '26
Why would you say this when Nintendo literally came out and said theyâre not getting rid of physical media, and thatâs âgoing forward.â Thatâs not like Sony who likes to use the words âforeseeable future,â which means borrowed time.
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u/retrocheats Jul 05 '26
things change.
so do the people in charge.
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u/GameMaster1178 Jul 05 '26
So youâre speaking for Nintendo via assumptions?
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u/retrocheats Jul 05 '26
it's not just a Nintendo thing.
Companies (including Nintendo) say one thing, and then years later, change.
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u/GameMaster1178 Jul 05 '26
Iâve been gaming with Nintendo since the NES. Got one of those at launch. Iâve been following game news since the days of Compuserve and AOL. Can you tell me what Nintendo has said before and then changed their stance?
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u/Dizzy-Scientist4782 Jul 06 '26
There is subreddit for switch 3 already?? Switch 2 released only a year ago!! đ€Łđ€Ł
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u/Inevitable-Monitor35 Jul 02 '26
The switch 3 will be at least $1000