I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter recently about how we supposedly don’t own any games on the Nintendo Switch 2. I’m really confused by this! From what I understand, it all comes down to these game key cards and the fact that Nintendo can disable your console if they catch you pirating or modding. But doesn’t every platform require you to download games before playing? You only need the internet for that initial download, right? So what gives? Also, Nintendo’s first-party games aren’t even going to be on these key cards, so I’m wondering why everyone is so upset about this. Plus, companies like Xbox and PlayStation do similar things—if you cheat or mod, you’re at risk of getting your console bricked too. I get that there’s a lot of hate going around for Nintendo, but it feels like there’s a ton of misinformation out there. Can someone explain why everyone is freaking out?
3 Answers
The thing about digital games is that you’re more buying a license rather than owning the game outright. You’re not necessarily wrong about downloading needing to happen first, but with digital, you’re always one server outage away from losing access if the game gets removed from the store. That’s what people mean when they say you don’t own it.
The key cards are actually a way for companies to save costs, but they lead to this perception that you don’t own the game. It’s all about how the industry has shifted towards digital licenses, which has been the norm for years. Check the GOG platform—they’re one of the few that actually give you more ownership over your digital games.
Yeah, a lot of gamers don’t realize that there’s still a difference in how companies approach ownership. Some digital platforms really try to give you the files to keep!
I think it boils down to misinformation and how people are comparing ownership between digital and physical. Physical media allows some ownership—you can sell or trade it, while most digital purchases are tied to your account. With these key cards, it seems like there’s still a physical aspect, even though it’s mainly a digital download thing, so it confuses collectors.
Exactly! Many people mistakenly think it means they’ll lose physical ownership, but they can still trade or sell those key cards, keeping some rights intact.
Totally! Plus, even if you physically own a disc, it often still requires online validation to play. It’s a messy situation from any angle.