Topic: Nintendo switch games

How long will Nintendo switch be around? I have loads of games I haven’t played yet. I’m worried because I put a lot of money into games. I’m talking physical copies. Where you insert the game. Will that be around too? The screen where the titles pictures load up? Or should I buy an OLED? I also play it’s usually docked in. When will it become obsolete behind Switch 2? And nothing can be played? Again, I have to many games to play. I’m worried I won’t get to play all of them. I have about 58 games. How many years to play them if it gets cancelled out? Like where I can’t even load a game physical copy?

How long I am is certainly none of your business. (Unless you happen to be some super sexy gamer chick).

As long as you have a functioning Switch your physical games will always work on it. I don't know how long Nintendo will keep releasing new games and updates for the original Switch, and in many years' time they might shut down its eShop and online play, but they can't and won't stop you from playing your existing games offline.

Or functioning Switch 2. We'll have to wait and see if Switch 3 will play physical Switch 1 games as well.

But given Switch 2 will be selling for most of a decade and consoles don't break quickly, it will be trivially easy to play Switch 1 physical games for 20+ more years minimum.

Btw, if I bought the metal gear vol. 1 collection - I know some games are downloaded - are these games locked to my account? In other words if I buy the card used is there a chance I wont be able to download the games?

I've got a couple of Switch 1 cartridges where there's a mandatory download to get the full game and a couple more where it's borderline unplayable without the patches.

Then there's all the DLC, bug fixes, etc. for practically everything else.

In such cases we're eventually going to have to rely upon community preservation efforts, I'm afraid.

Still, that's probably decades away. You can still redownload all your WiiWare and DSiWare games, for what it's worth, so I'd be fairly confident that the Switch will get the same treatment.

The fact that Switch 1 releases are downloadable on Switch 2 is the main, possibly only reason, I'm not worried. Because I think its been underappreciated how bad it was that Nintendo shut down the 3DS and Wii U eShops so quickly.

Like the PS3 store is still accessable, albeit not directly. The Ps3 is as old as the Wii and Nintendo shut down the shops for the systems after the Wii. Not great. (though this is not a defense of Sony too much since they had to be bullied into keeping it around)

You have to have the cartridge inserted ro play the games even if they are downloaded. The game is attached ro the cartridge even though it is sort of a digital game. Same idea as Switch 2 Game Key Cards.

@FishyS

So basically 20 years these physical copies can work offline or with servers easier. I’m a gamer that hasn’t gamed a lot. I’m new to this. When you load the physical copy in and it’s on those squares what shuts down? Mainly. I just like physical copies of games. I want to hold onto my switch 1. Play the games. I don’t want a newer system yet. for a while if I take care of it. Would it be good to get an oled? I don’t usually take it off of the dock.

Not sure what you're asking here by squares. The game icons? what do you mean by shut down?

If you play docked, there isn't a real reason to get an OLED - it's barely different than a normal Switch besides having a fancier screen for handheld playing and being more expensive. Any version of Switch should last a long time if you take care of it unless you're unlucky. We're 9 years in from release and my original Switch is mostly fine aside from mild controller issues.

@FishyS

Yes the icons. Load the game in and click it. I’m just wondering since I have all these games. I’d like to stick with one gaming system. Play it until it can’t anymore. Same with offline, servers, etc. As long as I can load a physical copy I’m happy for a long time. Kind of get where I’m going?

The newer update have Switch cartridge icon appeared if you inserted physical Switch games.
It will be grey out colored when you don't insert the cartridge.
Same thing happened to PS4 & PS5 with disc icon, highlighted if you insert the disc, grey out if you don't insert the disc.
If you have more games being played, the games icon app might looked disappeared from the menu that because only until the limited amount of game icon appeared on menu, the other games app icon that didn't show on menu still appear if you check them on the right side which you can organize the game app icon based on specific category.

@Anti-Matter

Awesome! I’ll be playing all of my physical copies for as long as I can. I don’t have any digital games. I just hope they’re around for a while. If the gaming console were to break. How do you transfer data? I just hope where they’re loaded it never goes down or away. That means loading the games are not going to be there anymore. And digital will be erased. I just hope they always allow the physical versions to be playable snd uploaded on that screen.

Thanks everyone

Digital games you bought from eshop will be NOT disappeared by itself.
The digital games will stay forever inside your machine unless you broke the machine.
But if you're late to buy digital games from eshop, you can't buy them anymore once the games got delisted.
Also, try to type with better English words.

Is there a way to talk to people by adding them?

@Nin89 Not really. There's no messaging system in the Switch itself so you won't be able to send people messages (presumably because Nintendo wants to prevent potentially inappropriate messages from being sent). We'd just rely on communities, like this very site, to keep in touch with each other. Last I knew, there is a voice chat function in the Switch phone app, but I only used it once, and I have not seen many people use it. I don't know if Nintendo got rid of it or not because of that.

@D-Star92

I meant on here privately.

@Anti-Matter

And physical games for ever too? If so this gamimg system is awesome. I’ve had a lot medical issues and couldn’t game that much. I’ve got to many games. Load them in and I’d like to play them forever. Then in the distant future move onto another Nintendo console. About 20 years starting now switch 1 will be around? All physical games only I have. Will the loading icon areas go down too? I’m in it to win it with this switch.

@Nin89 Ah I thought you were talking about the Switch, sorry. Nintendo Life doesn't have a private message feature. Also, your physical games should work just fine as long as your console still works. Nintendo won't be taking away the ability to play physical games because the game card slot is built in.

@D-Star92

Don’t be sorry. How long do I have to play my Nintendo switch game in years? That’s all I want to know. This system may become obsolete.