Topic: Thinking of going all digital- downsides?

I am new to Nintendo Switch from many years of not playing games. I am thinking about going "all digital" with my games- no cartridges. So for pros out there that have been gaming on Nintendo systems, a question:

• Do ALL games come to Nintendo eShop? So far it looks like all games are released simultaneously.

I don't want to go all digital only to have games come only on cartridge. I feel this won't be an issue because it's cheaper to release on eShop than pay Nintendo a fee for cartridge manufacture. I don't mind buying a few SD cards to carry the games, it's way more convenient. But with larger games down the road, do you think they won't be on eShop?

Is there any flaw to my logic? Is this a bad idea?

Well, these days, it's kind of the opposite. Pretty much all games come to the eShop while increasingly more don't come to cartridge. (Lookin' at you, Shovel Knight... you would've been an instant buy, dang it!)

The most immediate downside is that you will need to invest in a large memory or juggle with your games.

Also, you're pretty much stuck with the game. lol
If you're poor all the time like I am, then it's probably a big deal, otherwise you're fine. lol

Yes, except for the very few games that require a physical apparatus to play (which is included in the retail release). Skylanders Imaginators is not available via the eShop, for instance, and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival on Wii U was never made available as a download either (which is odd as the game is playable with as little as a single Animal Crossing amiibo figure and card, but Nintendo wanted customers to fork over the full US$60 [AU$80] for it. Now they're struggling to sell the entire package for $10 in Australia).

"Way more convenient?" I'd say that it's only mildly convenient as you'll still need to switch micro SD cards at some point. Plus, micro SD card storage isn't free either, so you'll need to factor that in on top of the full retail prices of the games via the eShop (games are typically 20-50% cheaper at retail, and aren't locked to a single system).

They will be available regardless of size, but the added expense of micro SD card storage would make them a terrible value proposition. The largest game at the moment is Dragon Quest Heroes I+II (available via the Japanese eShop), and that requires ~27GB of space. That's a good chunk of your micro SD card's memory occupied by a single game on top of the expensive eShop price.

Ultimately, it's up to you. I think the Switch is already super convenient as it is, and the cartridges are even smaller than DS/3DS cartridges, so they aren't a hassle to be carrying around. Plus, digital purchases can't be used on other consoles, so I prefer physical cartridges for that added versatility, and they are overall much better value. Plus, I want other publishers to feel encouraged to release their software on physical media, particularly as additional space for the Switch isn't exactly cheap.

@sillygostly
Yea, I'm going physical this time around to do my good ol' part in trying to convince publishers to do the same. I am only one person, yes... but 60 bucks at a time, I will vote with my wallet lol

I'll take cartridges over digital any day. I'm not at all interested in spending a ton of money on Micro SD cards, plus I like having a physical collection of games. You can also resell cartridges, which you can't do with digital games. Also, if your Switch breaks or you upgrade to a newer version if/when the Switch XL or Switch Pro comes out, it's as easy as popping the cartridges into the new system.

I want to go mostly digital but it's far cheaper to go retail now. I save 20% at best buy and the cost of memory cards has to be factored in. Even if I get a 128gb at 40$ 4 games could fill that up and that just increases the cost of digital. Being a handheld half the time I would really like to go all digital but the facts are against it.

I really do appreciate the feedback here. Making my decision tough. Consensus seems to be physical all the way. The problem is I have 7 games, only two are on physical. I still need to ponder.

Part of the challenge (as an additional backstory) is that I have been gaming on iOS for the last few years. Having all games with you at all times has been very nice. Hard to give that up.

@sillygostly due to the size of the dragon quest games, any chance of physical media release?

@Spoony_Tech good point on the less expensive route. I use Amazon Prime and I preordered Mario Kart and it is like $10 off normal retail. So weird. You would thing digital would be less expensive.

@iChadman They can't make the digital cheaper, even though there is no cost for physical elements, or they would have issues with retailers. Your stores like Game Stop, Amazon, etc would cry foul because they would be unable to sell competitively. If they anger the retailers, they have nobody to sell the console itself.

Besides that, any justification for physical component savings can be countered with the cost of running download servers. Just because it is a download doesn't mean there isn't associated cost with distribution just like physical.

Why don't you just have a mix of both?

You really don't need to choose one or the other.

Totally agree

I was certain I was going to go all digital because of the convenience of having all the games baked into the system on the go.

But ever since I got the console in my hands I've changed my mind. As a handheld it's quite big, and the carts are surprisingly small, so portability isn't an issue.

I also agree with all the points above. You end up paying far more for digital downloads then have to pay extra for the storage, and prices drop more quickly for physical carts too. The new cases are really cool, and also quite compact.

It feels like you are being ripped off for something you can't touch ... or taste (yuk).

There will be plenty of games only available on the eshop to fill your system with, and likely more suited to gaming on the go.

Yeah, I'd go physical on the Switch too. Especially now since storage is a lot more expensive, Nintendo's digital sales are absolutely awful compared to retail prices and carrying around a few game cards isn't a hassle.

You won't be able to lick the cartridges if you go all digital ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Depending on how long-termist you are, I think it's worth bearing in mind that paths often open up further along the line of system ownership for digitizing a physical collection. So you get the short-term advantages of lower launch prices, being able to sell on games you don't want to keep, and that yummy box art, but in the long term you'll probably be able to carry most of it round on a couple of 512gb SD cards in 5 years time.

@JoeDiddley thanks Joe. This is good logic.

I'm pretty new here and the responses have been fantastic.

I asked this question on the Reddit forum but was removed for being "too simple". I really appreciate everyone's perspectives.

@iChadman aww, thanks. Logic isn't something that my friends and family recognise in me!

Once you decide please post so we know how the story ends.

I tend to go physical for first-party and big RPGs, digital for indies (unless I can get for less than £30). Retail tends to be cheaper for bigger releases, but more expensive for indies.