What are the pros and cons of digital vs physical games for the Nintendo Switch

nintendo-switch

There are currently two options for getting new games:

  1. Buy a physical copy
  2. Buy a digital one

It seems that the pricing is the the same, so to me it seems that the digital one is better; you don't have to bother with a physical copy, needing to swap cartridges, and risking losing the game.

I am probably forgetting some key elements here, so is there something I overlooked?

Best Answer

If you have poor internet, then you may prefer physical cartridges, to avoid needing to download large files.

If you are like my parents, you might not trust the internet for purchases and only buy things in physical stores - so the physical copy is better.

If you are paranoid, you might not trust Nintendo to protect your account from hackers, who might mess with your digital purchase history. And one day will Nintendo closes it's digital store, and downloads will not be possible (has happened for DS). For both these reasons you might get the physical copy as a guarantee that you will always have access to the game you paid for.

You may have friends. In this case, a physical cartridge will let you lend games you've finished to your friends. Hopefully they'll let you borrow some that they've finished.

Otherwise, yes, the convenience of digital makes that purchase method better for most people.

(edited to include suggestions from comments below)