Topic: Switch 2 Boxed Physical Releases

Figure we needed a central thread to talk about Switch 2 physical releases similar to the one in the OG Switch forum. Found a new screen grab this morning, looks like Play-Asia. Personally, I will not be including Game-Key Card versions. For a list of Game-Key Card releases, go to this thread.

Current Switch 2 releases include:
Cyberpunk 2077
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Mario Kart World
Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar

Current Switch 2 Edition releases include:
Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Pokemon Legends Z-A
Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Physical release confirmed, cartridge or game-key card? TBD
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Marvel Cosmic Invasion
Obakeidoro 2: Chase & Seek
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
REANIMAL
Tamagotchi Plaza
The Duskbloods
Two Point Museum

I really like that Yakuza 0 Box. Need that!

@Magician I am sure some of those are not accurate.

Play-Asia puts the label key-cart or game cart (or nothing) on games that are not confirmed yet.

Here is their answer for Elden Ring:

@Zuljaras It's true. Play-Asia has a bad habit of posting unconfirmed preorders. They build site pages for things that may or may not happen. But I feel they're accurate more often than they're wrong.

@Magician I hope they are wrong about that one specifically. This is my Switch 2 seller game

That Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion limited edition is looking good.

@Magician NICE>.....

Added Assassin's Creed Shadows to the TBD list due to a ratings board leak.

@Magician
Thanks for starting this thread and listing up the physical S2 offerings thus far. I'll be trying my luck at preordering a console tomorrow, and wasn't up to speed on which games are due out on June 5th, and of those, which are legit (on the cart) physicals. I'll be trying to avoid those cop-out "game key" cartridges as much as possible.

At the moment, I'm thinking of starting off the new generation with the console, pro controller, screen protector, some kind of case, MKW, Yakuza Zero, and Cyberpunk 2077. Down the road I'll be grabbing DK Bananza and Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion. I agree the limited edition of the latter looks nice! I may even shell out for Zelda TOTK Switch 2 Edition if indeed the game and upgrade are all on the cart. BOTW I'll skip for sure, since it lacks the DLC.

I'm probably most excited to try MKW and explore the tracks and overworld with my kids. After that, Yakuza Zero really sounds appealing since I've never tried anything from the series, and Zero in particular I'm keen to see as much of that game is set in my old city of Osaka.

I'm curious what you and others in the thread are most looking forward to getting in your earliest Switch 2 purchases?

I tend to doubt Switch 2 will get the avalanche of physical releases its predecessor had, what with the rumored high cost to produce and susceptibility to tariffs, but this should still be a busy forum topic!

@Teksette

Especially with the speculation that publishers have the options of using 64GB cartridge or nothing at all. Well...either a 64GB cartridge, or a game-key card, or a code-in-a-box, or digital only release. It's fair to assume Switch 2 physical collection sizes won't come close to those we've seen with manic Switch collectors. Publishers are too incentivized to forgo the 64GB cartridge.

Which seems like a horrid choice by Nintendo! Why force publishing partners to pay much more to release "collector-worthy," intact physical Switch games? You could be right and Nintendo is deliberately incentivizing digital or mostly-digital sales.

Unless maybe Nintendo is going to keep producing Switch 1 blank cartridges for all the sub-32GB sized games? It would be easy enough to mold them with red plastic resin instead of black. Even if such "pseudo S2" carts had lower read speeds, would that be much of a factor for the smaller games that they'd serve? So many questions this generation - time will tell, eventually, I suppose.

@Teksette
I think it incentivizes full physical releases. Because publishers who understand the value of offering a retail release that's not a full download (aka Key Cart) are not tempted to put one game of a collection on cart with another being a download. Or offering a partial download. If they want a physical release that's not a Key Cart (which will sell much, much less than games on cart) they are almost guaranteed enough space for the full game.

This also funnels cartridge sales into the 64GB variant which means higher overall order numbers, which will help bring down the cost of the cartridges, lowering the financial barrier to entry over time.

Yes, some publishers will simply opt for Key Carts but the ones doing that were likely to just slap a code in the box or offer a partial download on an 8GB cart anyways.

@Magician Daemon X Machina (and every single third party physical release bar Cyberpunk 2077) is a key card in Japan Seriously, every one!

@GrailUK Can you provide a site showing that for the rest here?

Worth noting at the moment,Daemon X Machina is listed as a full physical in the EU. But it's just a listing so could change.

Wow, a lot of keycards on the horizon.
If things continue at this pace, I don't think my physical Switch 2 game collection will exceed 20 games.

Honestly the most shocking thing is that Japan is getting them more than us. I'm too used to physical Japanese games being download only over here instead. (still mad I don't have physical copies of Ace Attorney 5 and 6)

@Teksette Between Virtual Game Cards, Key Cards and 1st party physical games being more expensive than digital outside NA it seems Nintendo wants to kill off physical.

I think what will happen is boutique publishers will start hunting for rights to distribute actual physical copies.