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Love collecting game cartridges or lending your favourite titles to friends? Nintendo has some reassuring news. The company has no immediate plans to stop selling physical games, even as digital downloads become increasingly common across the gaming industry.
Bill van Zyll, Nintendo's vice president and general manager for Latin America, discussed the company's approach during an interview at Brasil Game Show 2026. He confirmed that Nintendo is paying attention to what players want, and physical games still have a place in its business. This doesn't mean cartridges are guaranteed forever. For now, though, Nintendo isn't rushing to leave them behind.
Nintendo's latest console, the Switch 2, supports both physical and digital games. Players can buy a cartridge from a retailer or download a title directly, depending on what suits them. For Nintendo, keeping both options available makes sense. Not everyone wants to build a digital library tied to an account. Some players enjoy collecting boxed editions, while others simply prefer buying a game, finishing it and passing it on to someone else.
Nintendo hasn't announced a deadline for ending physical releases, either. Its current position suggests the company would rather respond to changing buying habits than force every customer towards downloads.
There's a catch for anyone who assumes that buying a physical Switch 2 game always means getting the entire game on a cartridge. Nintendo's newer console also supports game-key cards. These cards act as keys to download and play a game rather than containing all its data. Players need the card to access the title, but an internet connection is required for the initial download.
That distinction matters to collectors who want a game they can use without downloading large amounts of data. Standard game cards and game-key cards may look similar on store shelves, but they don't offer the same experience.
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Across the industry, digital distribution continues to gain ground. Downloads are convenient, and players don't have to wait for deliveries or visit a shop. Publishers also benefit from selling games directly through online stores.
Still, physical copies offer something digital purchases often cannot: a product that can be displayed, exchanged or resold, subject to the game's format and applicable restrictions.
Nintendo's latest comments won't settle the debate over the future of physical games. They do, however, make one thing clear: the company isn't ready to abandon cartridges simply because the rest of the industry is moving towards digital. For Switch 2 owners, that means physical games remain part of Nintendo's plans for now.
