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Phenomajp13 on 17 September 2025
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Cobretti2 said:
Phenomajp13 said:

Steam let's me install my games on multiple devices. It is tied to your login not your hardware. If I want to play it on my desktop at home I can. If I want to travel and take my laptop with my games I can.

If my hardware dies, I simply buy new hardware log into steam and can just install the games.

The problem is longevity as modern consoles no longer become a device for retro gamers.

Say I like the Wii U for example and the game experience it offered. I got all my games digital, the services are now off in my country for Wii U. If my Wii U dies, I am screwed. I can no longer redownload the games nor can I use backups to put them on another Wii U (say a second hand I bought one). This is a big issue.

At least with Wii U discs, I can play those games on any Wii U.  

All I want if games are to be digital only on consoles, is for them to be easy to manage as I could with retro consoles.  

Sorry for the late response. Can't I do all of this on another Switch/Switch 2? I move games back and forth all the time between my Switch consoles. That's what the virtual cards allow. As for WiiU/3DS, we no longer have assess to purchase games via WiiU and/or 3DS but my understanding is the servers are still up to redownload games you have already purchased. I'm not sure why posters are acting like Nintendo is going anywhere anytime soon. Those servers aren't shutting down anytime soon because Nintendo is a proven successful and longterm brand. Mario turns 40 this year!

Otter said:
Phenomajp13 said:

Storage required is an issue because there are several games above 32GB and would need larger/more expensive carts to fully hold these games. This is why GKC cards are so popular, they are more cost effective and operate similar to physical games ie allows a game to freely transfer ownership at one's desire. Digital games are locked to an account and real physical games come at a higher price tag due to the storage needed. GKC is literally the best of both worlds, not to expensive and no limits to ownership.

The second paragraph is flat-out wrong, if Nintendo didn't offer GKC then 3rd parties would just go back to digital code in a box or raise the price of physical (Switch Tax remember), thirds aren't eating the cost lol. The misinformation about GKC has to stop.

Regarding the bolded, I recall their being way less digital codes in the box compared to GKC? Now pretty much all third parties have gone GKC. So GKC has pushed developers away from real physical releases. Games like Bravely Default 2 on Switch came on physical catridges, but HD remaster on Switch 2 is GKC despite them both being the same size (11GB). Developers are using GKC to opt out of physical altogether, we can't ignore that reality.

Storage wise I thought you were referring to Switch's internal memory but you mean the size of the game cards. Yeah, some games would need 64GB storage cards but the point is slow storage cards can be bought for a fraction of the price of the high speed ones needed to actually run the games. These cards would be even cheaper than S1 catridges. We're talking 1/4 the cost compared S2 catridge at least

"GKC is literally the best of both worlds, not to expensive and no limits to ownership."

Ultimately this centres on what you consider people's issue GKC. If someone is looking for ability to play out the box GKC does not allow this and requires access to both internet and storefronts to download the game. Traditional physical does not need this in most games. 

Sorry for the late response. There were way less digital codes because the AAA third party support was far more limited on Switch vs Switch 2 or in other words if Switch got better AAA support then more code in box games would exist.

The game key cards are likely the most cost efficient method/answer for Nintendo compared to their PS/Xbox counterparts. The larger the cart sizes needed to store Switch 2 games, the higher the cost, slower speeds included. The cartridges are just too expensive compared to the PS/Xbox disc counterparts unless 3rd parties charge more for Nintendo's version. That's why even the slower cartdriges still don't work because the PS/Xbox disc's are just much cheaper. The game key cards are probably the cheapest method while still being somewhat "physical" ie a cartridge that is interchangeable. People acting like using the internet to install instead of installing from the cartdrige/disc is the biggest problem in the world but just seems exaggerated. Nintendi's servers aren't going anywhere and none of you are willing to bet me on that.