When Nintendo Switch 2 releases in stores next month, Cyberpunk 2077 will be one of the first games available at launch. The game is getting a lot of positive attention from Nintendo fans, largely because of its physical release. For Nintendo Switch 2, most third-party developers are offering Game-Key Cards, which are basically cartridges used to download the game online, and don’t contain any other data. Cyberpunk 2077 will be one of the rare exceptions, with the full game on the cartridge, alongside the DLC. In an interview with The Game Business, CD Projekt Red VP of business development Jan Rosner addressed the decision, and the future of physical game releases.
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“Nintendo at physical retail is still strong, and retail is, in general, not going anywhere. I don’t think we’ll soon experience a reality where we’re just having all games digital. But again, it’s especially important for the Nintendo audience. We maybe could have got away with it, but is there a point? The right thing to do was to have it out on the cartridge with a plug and play experience,” said Rosner. “Do not underestimate the physical edition. It’s not going anywhere and Nintendo players are very appreciative of physical editions that are done right.”
In late April, Nintendo released a Creator’s Voice video focused on the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077. While the video itself didn’t touch on the physical release, the comments were still filled with people talking about it. It remains to be seen whether this decision will lead to increased sales for Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2, but this is something Nintendo fans clearly care about, and it sounds like they’re ready to vote with their dollars when the new system arrives on June 5th.
Physical game releases have been a hot topic of conversation in the video game industry over the last generation or two. Publishers have increasingly moved to discs that require downloads before they can be played, and this has led to frustration from physical game collectors. The reality is, there are a lot of people that currently enjoy playing old games via cartridges and discs, and many people worry about the future viability of games that can’t be played without an internet download first.
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Rosner and CD Projekt Red have clearly done their research; when it comes to physical game releases, the Nintendo audience does feel very passionately about this topic. Over the last eight years, it’s become common to see Switch owners with huge collections of physical games. These fans don’t want Game-Key Cards, and it’s easy to understand why. Hopefully this move on the part of CD Projekt Red will show other publishers that there’s still a big market for true physical games.
How do you feel about Cyberpunk 2077‘s Nintendo Switch 2 release? Do you plan on checking out the game next month? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Nintendo Everything]
