Is it Worth Buying Physical Copies of Switch Games? An In-Depth Guide

As a long-time Nintendo fan, building my ideal Switch game library has meant carefully weighing the decision between buying games physically or digitally. While both formats provide the same great gameplay, there are some distinct differences to consider when deciding if physical Switch game cartridges are worth purchasing in the age of digital.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine the key pros and cons of both physical and digital Switch games, look at pricing trends, resale value, display appeal, storage needs, and make recommendations based on your gaming habits and priorities. By the end, you‘ll have all the insight you need to build the perfect balance of physical and digital in your own Switch game collection!

At a Glance: Physical vs. Digital Switch Games

Before diving into the nitty gritty details, here‘s a quick overview of the main advantages of each format:

Physical Games	Digital Games
Resell/trade value	Convenience – instant downloads
Share with friends	No risk of losing cartridges
Display collection	Automatic downloads across systems
Find better sales	Less physical clutter
Collector appeal	Always available to re-download

Now let‘s explore each of these factors more in depth!

The Joy of Displaying a Physical Collection

For devoted Nintendo fans, one of the most compelling reasons to buy physical games is being able to proudly display your library as a showcase of devotion and fandom.

Walking into a friend‘s game room and seeing a meticulously organized set of shelves packed with Nintendo classics old and new brings me joy as a fellow Nintendo collector. Physical collections represent time, money and care invested into a passion.

My own shelves contain over 50 beloved Nintendo Switch titles, along with amiibos, merchandise, and collector‘s edition favorites. While curating and adding to this display brings satisfaction, it‘s a feeling that digital libraries struggle to replicate.

Physical Game Cartridge Production Costs

Nintendo‘s decision to use cartridges over discs for the Switch does come with some drawbacks. Compared to optical discs, manufacturing costs for cartridges remain fairly high. This factors into why physical Switch games maintain a higher base price compared to other consoles using discs.

For example, a Blu-ray disc maxes out at around $3 USD per 50GB disc to produce. In contrast, a 32GB Nintendo Switch cartridge costs an estimated $20 USD to manufacture. This makes producing physical games on Switch inherently more expensive.

However, as we‘ll explore next, physical games have still managed to offer far more discounts and deals than their digital counterparts.

Aggressive Physical Game Discounts and Sales

Over the past 5 years, physical Switch games have commonly seen discounts between 30-50%, with many titles reaching up to 70% off in rare cases. This remains significantly more discounting than is typically found on the Nintendo eShop digital storefront.

For example, 2019‘s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 launched at $59.99 MSRP both physically and digitally. Currently in 2024, the eShop price remains $59.99, while physical copies can easily be found brand new for $29.99 (50% off).

This steeper discounting of physical games occurs for a couple reasons. Physical retailers are motivated to clear old stock off shelves by lowering prices aggressively. And physical printing runs are finite, while digital has unlimited stock.

Here‘s a look at how steeply physical game prices can drop over time compared to digital according to market research:

Months Since Launch	Physical Game Price Drop	Digital Game Price Drop
3 Months	-20%	-5%
6 Months	-35%	-10%
12 Months	-50%	-20%
18 Months	-65%	-30%

So while buying digital offers convenience up front, purchasing physical early in a game‘s lifecycle when prices are at their peak can pay off handsomely later for patient gamers.

Digital Licenses vs. Physical Ownership

One fundamental difference between physical and digital games lies in ownership rights. With a physical cartridge, you retain perpetual ownership and the right to resell or lend out that copy.

Digital games, in contrast, only grant you a non-transferable license to download and play on your account. While convenient, this license cannot be shared or transferred the same way a physical disc or cartridge can.

Attempting to lend out your account details or play a downloaded game on multiple systems simultaneously breaks the terms agreed upon in purchasing the digital license. While rarely enforced, these limitations are worth considering for those who prefer sharing games freely.

Physical Resale Value and Trading In

The ability to resell, trade, or lend out physical games adds monetary value that digital lacks. By selling a physical copy on eBay or trading it in at GameStop once you are done with it, you can recoup some of the original price.

Effectively, this lowers the net cost of buying physical games. If you buy a game for $60 at launch and later resell it for $30, it‘s as if your original purchase price was only $30.

Utilizing trade-in deals at retailers like BestBuy and GameStop when trading physical games in toward new purchases can be a great way to keep affording new games. Digital has no such option.

Collector‘s Editions and Rare Physical Games

For collectors obsessed with having the complete libraries of beloved franchises, physical game copies are a must. Collector‘s editions with exclusive physical extras, rare titles, or special variants are often grail items for Nintendo fans.

Some examples include the rare Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Pro Controller, Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition, or Legend of Zelda Link‘s Awakening Limited Edition.

Digital-only consumers miss out on collecting these exclusive physical items entirely. As a completionist collector myself, buying as much physically as possible is the only way to properly curate a Nintendo library.

Physical Game Sharing Limitations

While physical games can be freely lent out and resold, there are some limitations compared to digital. Only one player can be playing your physical copy at a time, whereas digital copies can often be played simultaneously across multiple consoles.

Players will also need to be in physical proximity to lend and borrow physical games. You can‘t as easily let an out of state friend borrow a physical copy. Digital sharing requires simply sharing account access.

So while physical allows sharing across people, digital expands simultaneous sharing to multiple devices. This also allows families to more readily share a digital game library between kids and parents playing on different systems.

Onboard Storage Needs

One advantage of digital games lies in storage efficiency. The game data for physical cartridges takes up between 100MB-200MB of onboard Switch storage for game updates and save files.

For Switch owners maxing out their 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage, thisEAT can add up quickly. Digital games themselves are stored entirely on microSD cards, leaving onboard space free for more save files.

However, higher capacity microSD cards up to 1TB allow storing huge digital libraries that minimize storage concerns. And save data takes up relatively little space either way.

Digital Game Sharing and Family Accounts

While digital games have tighter license restrictions, they can offer more flexible sharing in other ways. Using the primary and secondary account system, purchases on a primary Switch account are shared across linked secondary accounts.

This makes it easy for families to access one shared digital library between parent and child accounts across multiple Switch systems. It allows for simultaneous digital game sharing that physical can‘t match.

Just be aware only primary account holders can play games offline and all accounts share a singular save file per game rather than separate saves.

Digital-Only Switch Lite Impact

The introduction of the handheld-only Switch Lite in 2019 has likely accelerated the transition toward digital game purchases. With no cartridge slot, Switch Lite owners have no choice but to go all digital.

Nearly 25% of all Switch sales are now Switch Lites according to Nintendo. As this user base grows, expect the scaling back of physical cartridge production to follow. But for original Switch owners, the disc vs digital choice remains an open one.

Recommendations for Building Your Physical/Digital Library

So when does it make sense to go physical or digital? Here are my personal recommendations:

• For avid collectors – Prioritize physical to enable trading, reselling, and collecting complete sets

• If displaying your collection is important – Physical allows showcasing your Nintendo passion

• On a budget – Physical offers steeper discounts over time, recoup costs reselling

• For younger kids – Physical allows game sharing across rooms/systems

• If you dislike clutter – All digital eliminates bulky cartridges and cases

• For big digital libraries – Get 128-512GB microSD cards to enable huge digital collections

• For evergreen franchise mainstays – Go physical on the classics you‘ll replay indefinitely

• For more casual short-lived games – Go digital for convenience and to try new games

• When needing portability – Digital ensures you always have your full library on hand

The Best of Both Worlds

For devoted Nintendo fans like myself, the ideal Switch library strikes a balance between physical and digital purchases. Physical builds an impressive display, enables collecting special editions, unlocks trader/resale value, and brings nostalgic joy.

Digital offers ultimate convenience, portability and allows trying more games on a whim. Different games naturally lend themselves more to one format or the other. But blending both formats lets you enjoy the benefits of each.

Whichever balance of physical and digital brings you the most satisfaction as a Nintendo Switch owner, hopefully this in-depth guide better informs that decision! Let me know in the comments if you have any other pros/cons I missed for physical vs. digital Switch games. Enjoy curating that perfect library!