Gaming Is the Switch future compatible with a new digital-only infrastructure for Gen 9th consoles?

[delete12345]

With Microsoft announcing Xbox One-exclusive games available on the Xbox Game Pass on Day 1, and a game retailer removing inventory for Xbox One out, we may be possibly heading towards a digital-only gaming market where games are only sold digitally.

ReviewTechUSA mentioned how he feels the days where we can buy physical copies of a game is numbered, and there will be a trend to shift towards digital amd online only games as a service entertainment. Other videos were discussing about similar topics on Youtube, so I will just link ReviewTechUSA.

With all that said, is the Switch future-compatible with such changes in the video gaming industry?

Microsoft Xbox One exclusives: https://www.polygon.com/2018/1/23/16922912/xbox-game-pass-subscriptions-game-list-console-exclusives

Game retailer taking down Xbox One inventories: http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/26/austrian-retailer-refuses-sell-xbox-one-game-pass-7262427/

ReviewTechUSA:

 

[Xabring]

all three consoles are at the verge of ditching physical media for digital only.....The switch is either the poorest or brightest though one. The other two need to install updates/part of the game on the hard drive anyways, so...yeah.

 

[gamemasteru03]

Not really... The switch wouldn't be able to handle a all digital market due to its low amount of internal memory. Although their are memory cards they wont be able to hold that many games especially triple AAA games that can be 50 gigs. The only way the switch would be able to surive an all digital market is if sd cards are made which can hold 1 to 2 tb or at least 500 gig. Their are now 256 gig sd cards that are 20 $ but still that wont be enough...

 

[AutumnWolf]

I don´t like online only games and I know many people who don´t...

Anyways, you should not worry that much, Switch games (ports) get considerable downgrades, this also reduces their size...

Sonic Forces is 9GB (? [maybe 7...]) on the Switch and 18GB on the PS4
And Doom is 13GB on the Switch vs 50 or 45GB on the PS4

And Mario Odyssey is like what 5GB?

 

[Xabring]

due to its low amount of internal memory.

that's my point on poorest.

 

[the_randomizer]

Digital only is not the best way to go, with DRM, "renting to own", being forced to repurchase games, data caps, yeah, that sounds smart.

 

[Gourmet]

1) All games are already on eShop.

2) There is literally no reason to remove the card slot.

3) delete12345 this thread please.

 

[driverdis]

Digital is the best way to go, every game publisher will tell you that. the reason for this is that you never have to own anything, just license it which means it can be revoked at any moment for any reason, especially TOS violations of their service.

 

[Xzi]

It's inevitable, the only surprising thing is that Gamestop lasted a lot longer than Blockbuster. Switch has a direct delivery service (eShop), so it'll be fine. Yeah, full HDDs like in XB1 and PS4 are still slightly cheaper than mSDs right now, but they're also more prone to failure and they're affected more by cryptocurrency than mSDs are.

Digital is the best way to go, every game publisher will tell you that. the reason for this is that you never have to own anything, just license it which means it can be revoked at any moment for any reason, especially TOS violations of their service.

Realistically this doesn't happen. You won't see people losing their Steam game licenses unless perhaps it's a multiplayer game they continuously cheat in.

 

[F34R]

Physical games aren't going anywhere any time soon, or in the next decade. Sales will be lost by a large margin without physical games, mainly due to the poor caps on broadband in the USA. Take into account retail stores will be losing a lot of money and may stop carrying accessories if they aren't able to profit from game sales as well.

 

[YugamiSekai]

Kinda sucks if you think about the people without internet that rely on physical media for games

 

[Xzi]

Physical games aren't going anywhere any time soon, or in the next decade. Sales will be lost by a large margin without physical games, mainly due to the poor caps on broadband in the USA. Take into account retail stores will be losing a lot of money and may stop carrying accessories if they aren't able to profit from game sales as well.

Well yeah the assumption is that the last couple brick and mortar game store chains close and then Wal-Mart and others just stop having a games section other than hardware.

 

[laudern]

It will easily be another decade before digital only consoles. Easy. People flipped their shit when MS was trying to introduce cd keys for console games, let alone digital only gaming.

I still wish MS didn't buckle with the cd key part of their initial xbox one plan. Would have been awesome.

 

[Xzi]

It will easily be another decade before digital only consoles. Easy. People flipped their shit when MS was trying to introduce cd keys for console games, let alone digital only gaming.

I still wish MS didn't buckle with the cd key part of their initial xbox one plan. Would have been awesome.

People already do the majority of their purchasing digitally, which is why physical is dying in the first place. I'm not sure where you get the "decade" figure from...Gamestop is the only brick and mortar store in my area and they mostly sell figurines and collectibles rather than games now.

 

[Bowl0l]

Their are now 256 gig sd cards that are 20 $ but still that wont be enough...

i hope it's a typo because if not i will need a link to the seller that sells 256GB SD for $20.

 

[Shadow#1]

Nintendo Switch is the ONLY 9th Gen console

 

[Bonestorm]

lol at anyone who thinks physical games are going anywhere

 

[m_babble]

Digital titles don't have any resale value if you sell or trade your consoles to Gamestop or a similar store because they factory reset it.

 

[gamemasteru03]

i hope it's a typo because if not i will need a link to the seller that sells 256GB SD for $20.

Oops I was wrong. I looked on Amazon and saw a bunch of 256 gigs at 20$ but I just took a look at then and found at they were all fake. Its more like 120$ for a 256 gig.

 

[DinohScene]

I can easily download all me games from PSN/XBL but I prefer physical copies as I like having a physical game collection.
Especially collectors editions n what not.

Nah, physical games won't go anywhere soon.
They said the same thing about newspapers and magazines.
And they're still going in this digital age.