Gamers have been curious about how Microsoft and Nintendo will both react to Sony’s all-digital future plans.
PlayStation’s disc-less future isn’t affecting Nintendo’s plans to release physical games, according to a new interview.
Bill van Zyll, VP and general manager for Nintendo Latin America, spoke in an interview with YouTuber Coelho no Japão, confirming the brand has no imminent plans to drop physical titles.
“We go off what the consumer prefers, and take that into account very heavily,” Zyll says. “We also have a platform that just launched. We’re barely just over a year into NS2 [Nintendo Switch 2], and it’s got both digital and physical capabilities. There are no plans to ditch physical. We know how much the fans like it as well, so our position has been to be agnostic.”
He notes Nintendo has been “very agnostic,” meaning it allows customers to openly choose between physical or digital titles. While true, these comments overlook that some Nintendo games now come as key cards in physical packaging rather than cartridges.
In January 2028. Sony plans to stop sales of physical games for its PlayStation 5 and any future consoles. The choice has sparked uproar among gamers and physical media fans who prefer to play from a disc, leading to a boycott of Sony services back in August.
Sony’s announcement may have been seen as an opportunity for Microsoft and Nintendo to switch to digital-only with a reduced backlash, but each brand may also be reassessing internally given the negative results of Sony’s decision.
It’s clear Nintendo knows its fans like the option to play physical titles, but the big question will be whether a Switch 3. or whatever the brand does next, comes with a physical game slot. Zyll’s comments are specific to the Switch 2. leaving the door open for a future digital-only console.
Microsoft has yet to announce its disc drive plans for future Xbox consoles, with its CEO avoiding the question in recent interviews. Asha Sharma spoke to the BBC where she said, “we’re not sharing more on Helix” when asked about the possibility of dropping the disc drive.
