Why would it be all digital? This isn't optical drive which takes a lot of space and ins't cheap to make. If anything they'd add more game card slots.

Apart from it being digital only, yes.

I don't buy physical but I see no reason for them to cut cross compatibility by axing catridges, many potential buyers will loose access to their games unless Nintendo has a plan to transfer hysical copies into download codes which is just unnecesarry considering their is probably very little cost saving for all the fuss it will cause

How is physical more popular than ever when the percentage of digital sales has been rising steadily for the past decade?

Storage is a non issue, really. Nobody, no matter how much they pretend they do, needs to have 20 games simultaneously installed, especially not games that are 50GB. Games can be downloaded and uninstalled easily and quickly. Storage is a comfort that everyone wants but very few actually need.

If people can do without a headphone jack, they can easily do without having unlimited storage. In the end convenience will always win out and having 10 games locally installed will always be more convenient than lugging 20 cartridges around and sometimes having to download a game.

If anything the increased demand of storage will drive developers to do even less physical. The physical mediums are way more limited than local storage.

It's a fucking royal pain in the ass to reinstall games on PS4 for example. Why? Because of the bullshit that is trophy data.  Running out of room on HDD or even External HDD. (I have over 80 games for it) Ok let's uninstall Nier Automata for example. Ok, I will delete it. Some months later I want to play it. I install it but uh oh. It won't let me play because the OPTIONAL DLC is not installed because that DLC has trophy data. Ok so Install the DLC...but ok the game works but the DLC is not in the game...wait, what? Sometimes it takes a few installs and other hoops you have to jump through like deleting save data to get it working(have to re download the save data from PS+). DMC5 gave me the same guff.

My games on my shelf that are 20 years old I can just pop in and they will play. No bullshit. No worrying about recovering them from a long-dead service. No worries about BS trophy data. My Wiiware games are gone tho.  I like the case. The box art. The sometimes manuals. The bonus goodies. Holding the game. It's a full experience that feels shallow digital. Why I can never get into PC gaming no matter how much I try. Also, records are still used as they sound better than MP3 files.

Well, I don't know where you came from, but download a 86 GB game like FF VII is definitely not fast neither convenient. I actually don't see how having to download and uninstall a group of games over and over is more convenient than just changing the cartridges when you want to play something, unless you're using a portable so maybe it makes sense that you don't want to walk with many copies indeed. I googled some reasons why people still buying physicals and I find this article, It was a easy but interesting reading: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-09-14-why-do-gamers-still-buy-physical-games

- 32% buys because they like the collection, these people will probably never changing their minds and will always side with physicals (even if they buy digitals, they will choose physicals when this option is viable)

- 31% buy because it was cheaper (either because it was a discount, or because it was a second-hand game). These people are very likely to buy digital if digital is cheaper

- 42% buys because they like to play in other console, OR like to lend it to someone, OR because they like to resell. So it's a consumer habit, and it's not likely to change 

- Only 22% buys due to technical limitations like internet or storage

So you might be right, only a few (one out of five) european costumers will go for physical thanks to technical limitations. However, this only make physicals appeal stronger imo, you can have few workarounds for the 22% and make digital cheaper for the 31%, but the there is a huge chunk of people who doesn't care for this. I like the idea of borrowing my games, that's why I like Steam, it would be nice if I could do the same with my Switch games. 

It was going to happen one day or another. From the reveal I was expecting a hybrid, console only and hh only both cheaper than hybrid to make people that don't need flexibility more likely to buy (or as extra console).

https://www.vgchartz.com/yearly/2010/Global/ - https://www.vgchartz.com/yearly/2018/Global/

• 2010 = 630M physical games
• 2011 = 608M physical games
• 2012 = 471M physical games
• 2013 = 472M physical games
• 2014 = 444M physical games
• 2015 = 416M physical games
• 2016 = 363M physical games
• 2017 = 299M physical games
• 2018 = 317M physical games

I wouldn't personally be interested. I already have a Switch anyway, if I didn't have one already then maybe I would..... maybe

Even physical formats have the same issue as one day they too will stop working at this point the is no better option only what each individual prefers.

Good points, but it completely ignores a whole section of gamers, namely young people. These habits only come from people who grew up with physical games. Every child that was born in the past decade will already be accustomed to digital sales, both for games and any other media. Basically all of the "worries" posted can be overcome by technological advancement or the changing of habits. There is no rational need to buy physical very soon and suddenly convenience will overtake.

As for the convenience of downloading, having to juggle many games is a fringe case. Consoles have ample space for a number of games to be there at the same time. Even the biggest games can be loaded in less than a day for most people, which is faster than having it delivered and sometimes even faster than going to a store. Not to mention just downloading a game and having them directly there to access is so much more convenient than actually having to physically acquire something and then still having to install it for quite some time. I mean, please show me single person who constantly has to redownload their old games because they had to delete them constantly because they were downloading new games to play. That's not how most people consume games.

Maybe you shouldn't just look at the increased sales of mega blockbusters and instead recognize that a good portion of consumed games today doesn't even have physical options anymore. There are way more games these days downloaded digitally than purchased physically.