Nintendo physical games are staying, according to a company executive. Bill van Zyll, Nintendo’s vice president and general manager for Latin America, said the company has no plans to ditch physical releases. He made the comments in an interview with Coelho. The statement comes after Sony announced on July 1 that new PlayStation games will skip discs from January 2028. Van Zyll described Nintendo’s position as agnostic.
Below, we cover what he said and what recent US sales show about game-key cards on the Switch 2.
Nintendo Physical Games: What the Company Said
Van Zyll spoke about the physical vs digital games debate during the Coelho interview. He said Nintendo has historically been agnostic about formats. The company goes by what consumers prefer and takes that into account heavily.
Van Zyll then pointed to the Nintendo Switch 2. He said the console is just over a year old and supports both digital and physical games. His words on the topic were direct: “There are no plans to ditch physical.”
He added that Nintendo knows how much fans like physical games. For that reason, he said, the company’s position stays agnostic.
Sony Is Ending PlayStation Physical Discs in 2028
Sony set off a fresh round of discussion this year. In a PlayStation Blog post on July 1, 2026, the company said physical disc production for all new PlayStation console games will end in January 2028.
New games from that date will be sold digitally through the PlayStation Store and at retailers. Games released before January 2028 are not affected. Existing discs will keep working.
Sony said the move reflects changing consumer preferences. The announcement put PlayStation physical discs at the center of the debate, and Nintendo’s comments followed.
Nintendo says it will keep supporting both formats. Sony will stop making discs for new games in about 15 months.
Switch 2 Physical Games Come in Two Forms
Physical releases on the Switch 2 come in two types. One is a full cartridge. The other is a game-key card, which needs a download before you can play.
Game-key cards have not been a hit with collectors. This leaves some uncertainty around Nintendo’s approach to physical media.
Nintendo’s own games have largely shipped as full physical titles. One exception is coming: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Definitive Edition will release as a game-key card.
Switch 2 Game-Key Cards Are Selling More in the US
Sales data shows buyers are still picking up Switch 2 game-key cards. Market research firm Circana reported that spending on them rose 631% in the US so far in 2026.
That growth lifted spending on new physical software by 5% year to date, to $738 million. Game-key cards offset a 3% drop in other physical formats.
More titles use the format this year. Circana’s Mat Piscatella said 10 titles shipped as game-key cards last year, with 54 more published this year. Circana described the rise as the first growth in new physical software sales in more than a decade.
Nintendo has not shared any plan to end physical releases. The company has also not said how it will split future games between cartridges and game-key cards.
