Nintendo plans to continue selling physical game cartridges

Nintendo does not plan to stop releasing physical game cartridges, Game World Observer reported. Bill van Zyll, the General Manager for Nintendo's Latin American division, revealed the strategy during an interview with Coelho no Japão. He explained that the company focuses on customer preferences when choosing its distribution strategy, and because cartridges remain in demand, Nintendo sees no need to abandon them. [1]

Game World Observer reported that van Zyll described Nintendo's official stance as agnostic regarding physical and digital software formats. He noted that the company is aware of how much players value physical media. Nintendo currently offers two types of cartridges, including full game distributions and key cartridges that require a software download from the online Nintendo eShop store. [1]

Nintendo launched its Switch 2 console on June 5, 2025. The hybrid hardware functions as a handheld system, tablet, or home console connected through a display dock. The system features magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers, expanded internal storage, mouse functionality, and upgraded graphical capabilities compared to its predecessor console. [2]

Fusajiro Yamauchi originally founded Nintendo in late 1889 in Kyoto, Japan. The business began as an operation manufacturing hanafuda, which are traditional Japanese flower playing cards. The company eventually expanded to become Japan's leading manufacturer of playing cards before transitioning into global video game console development. [3]