Nintendo’s official position is to keep physical software part of its business, not to promise that physical games will exist forever. In a May 2024 financial-results Q&A, company president Shuntaro Furukawa said Nintendo aimed to maximize software sales across both physical and digital formats. He also expected more players to choose digital as it becomes more useful and convenient.
What Nintendo actually said about physical games
In its May 2024 financial-results Q&A, Nintendo described its objective as maximizing overall game software sales, “including sales of physical software.” Furukawa added: “This policy will remain unchanged going forward.”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.82 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream | $59.88 | Buy on Amazon |
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That is a commitment to a dual-format sales objective at the time of the briefing. It is not a statement that Nintendo will continue producing physical games indefinitely, or that every game will receive a physical release. The briefing discussed commercial direction, not a permanent guarantee about future products.
Digital purchases are expected to grow too
Nintendo’s position does not mean it expects digital sales to stand still. Furukawa said that if digital content continued to become more useful and convenient, Nintendo believed more consumers would choose digital products with the Switch successor, as they had with Nintendo Switch. The company’s stated goal was to maximize overall software sales rather than simply increase digital’s share.
#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
What Nintendo said about Switch 2 Game-Key Cards
In May 2025, Nintendo UK told Nintendo Life: “We currently have no plans to use game-key cards for Nintendo-developed titles.” The wording is limited in two important ways: it refers to Nintendo-developed games, and “currently” describes the position at that time. It does not rule out Game-Key Cards for every game Nintendo publishes, nor does it promise that the policy will never change. Nintendo Life reported the statement after contacting the company about Switch 2 releases.
Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser also described physical games as “still a key part of our business” and said Game-Key Cards give publishing partners a way to bring deeper, larger, more immersive content to the platform. That explains a possible role for the format; it does not establish the format used by any specific game.
Rank #2
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
Are Switch 2 Game-Key Cards full games on the card?
Do not assume that every boxed Switch 2 release contains the complete playable game on its card. A Game-Key Card requires a download, unlike a cartridge that contains the game data. Check the specific title’s packaging and regional product details before buying if having the game data on the physical card matters to you.
Also distinguish the game itself from updates, add-on content, and online features. A physical copy does not by itself guarantee that every connected feature will remain available indefinitely.
Rank #3
- Populate your island with Mii characters and watch them come to life
- Base your Mii characters on family and friends, or whatever you want—and customizer, including some face customization options you haven’t seen before
- Pick your Mii characters up and place them near each other to chat and hang out
- Help your Mii characters explore likes and dislikes, find relationships, and get up to all sorts of fun
- Give Mii characters clothes, food, items, and life advice as they deal with all kinds of situations
What Nintendo’s older eShop closures tell buyers
Nintendo’s history with the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS illustrates why purchases, downloads, updates, and online services should be treated as separate things. Nintendo ended new purchases in those eShops on March 27, 2023, while saying users could continue redownloading owned games and DLC and receiving updates “for the foreseeable future.” Online play and other functions using online communication ended on April 8, 2024. Nintendo’s eShop discontinuation Q&A documents those changes; they do not establish the current availability of any individual title.
Quick Recap
How to assess a specific physical release
- Identify who developed it. The 2025 no-plans statement applies to Nintendo-developed titles, not automatically to every game Nintendo publishes or every third-party release.
- Check what the package includes. Confirm whether it is a cartridge with the game, a Game-Key Card requiring a download, or another package with a download requirement. Verify the exact title and region.
- Check connected requirements separately. Updates, DLC, and online functions may have their own download or service requirements and lifecycles.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
