Circana’s Mat Piscatella told VGC that Sony’s reported move away from PlayStation physical games is unlikely to change Nintendo’s Switch 2 retail strategy, even as the broader console market shifts toward digital distribution.
Sony’s 2028 disc cutoff puts Nintendo in a different lane
Sony’s plan to stop releasing disc-based PlayStation games from January 2028 is unlikely to change Nintendo’s approach to Switch 2 physical games, Circana senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella told VGC. The immediate consequence for players is straightforward: if Sony’s timeline holds, PlayStation buyers will lose standard disc releases after that date, while Nintendo is currently expected by Piscatella to keep physical media in play through at least the Switch 2 generation.
According to VGC, Sony announced that new PlayStation games from all publishers will be digital-only after January 2028. Piscatella said the move was eventually inevitable, citing a long-running decline in new physical video game sales in the US since the late 2000s. He also told VGC that the recent slight growth in the US physical market was tied to Nintendo Switch 2, but said he does not expect that lift to last.
What the Sony physical games analyst actually said about Nintendo
Piscatella’s read is not that Nintendo is immune to the industry’s digital shift. It is that Nintendo does not usually let Sony or Microsoft set its hardware and retail strategy. Nintendo Life, summarizing his comments to VGC, quoted him as saying his “gut” is that Nintendo does what Nintendo wants to do and is unlikely to change plans because of Sony or Microsoft.
That distinction matters. The confirmed news, as reported by VGC, is Sony’s January 2028 cutoff for disc-based PlayStation releases. The analyst interpretation is that Nintendo will probably remain the last console maker producing physical media if Xbox also moves digital-only with its reported Project Helix plans. Nintendo has not announced that it will keep cartridges forever, and Piscatella’s comments should be read as market analysis rather than a formal Nintendo policy statement.
Why Nintendo cartridges still serve a different business purpose
Nintendo’s retail position is structurally different from PlayStation’s and Xbox’s. Nintendo Life notes that retail continues to support Nintendo strongly, and that Nintendo has held a very strong share of physical software and hardware sales since the Switch 2 launch. The outlet also points to in-store Switch 2 kiosks in North America as part of Nintendo’s continued retail push.
That gives Nintendo cartridges strategic value beyond nostalgia. Physical shelves sell hardware, make family purchases easier, support gifting, and keep Nintendo visible in stores where parents and younger players still discover software. From a strategy angle, this is less about resisting digital distribution outright and more about preserving a channel that still works for Nintendo’s audience and first-party catalog.
The wrinkle is Game-Key Cards. Nintendo Life notes that Switch 2 has introduced physical cards that act as a key to download the full game via the internet. That means not every boxed Switch 2 product offers the same ownership experience as a complete game stored on a cartridge. For players concerned about digital game ownership, the distinction between a full cartridge and a download key in a box is now one of the most important details to check before buying.
Why this matters for players
For PlayStation players, the shift described by VGC would make digital storefront access, account ownership, storage management, refunds, delistings, and long-term preservation more important after January 2028. The used-game market and disc lending would also be affected if new PlayStation physical games stop being produced.
For Nintendo players, the short-term picture appears more stable, but not simple. Piscatella expects Nintendo Switch 2 physical games to remain part of the market, yet the growing use of Game-Key Cards means the box on a store shelf may not guarantee that the full game is playable from the card alone. Buyers who value resale, offline installation, collection preservation, or lending should look closely at packaging and official product descriptions before assuming a Switch 2 boxed copy is a complete physical release.
What to watch before buying
The key date from VGC’s report is January 2028, when Sony’s disc-based PlayStation releases are set to end. That does not create an announced deadline for Nintendo cartridges, and there is no confirmed Nintendo plan in the provided reporting to end Switch 2 physical media.
If you are buying on Switch 2, the practical question is not simply physical versus digital. It is whether the specific release is a full cartridge, a Game-Key Card, or a digital-only product. If you care about long-term access, wait for the final retail packaging or store listing to confirm how the game is delivered. If you care mainly about convenience, preloading, or avoiding cartridge swaps, digital may still be the simpler route.
The broader market direction is clear from Piscatella’s comments: physical software sales have been declining for years, and platform holders can decide how long physical media survives. The open question is how long Nintendo decides that retail visibility, cartridges, and boxed software remain worth defending while the rest of the console business moves further into digital distribution.