While Sony prepares to stop producing physical PS5 discs in January 2028, Nintendo is going the other way. A Nintendo VP says the company has “no plans to ditch physical” — because fans made it clear that's what they want.
What was said
Speaking to Brazilian YouTuber Coelho no Japão at the Brazil Game Show on October 11, Nintendo Latin America VP and General Manager Bill van Zyll addressed the industry's digital shift directly:
“Historically, we've been very agnostic, right? We go off what the consumer prefers, and take that into account very heavily. We also have a platform that was just launched. We're barely just over a year into NS2. It's got both digital and physical — that capability. There's no plans to ditch physical. We know how much the fans like it as well.”
Why it matters
This is the clearest line anyone at Nintendo has drawn since Sony's bombshell back in July: no new physical PS5 discs from January 2028, all-digital from that point forward. That announcement sparked genuine anxiety among collectors and physical-media fans — would Nintendo follow?
The answer, at least for now, is no. Van Zyll pointed to Latin America specifically, where players strongly prefer physical because they can resell and share games — but the sentiment applies globally. Collectibility, sharing with family and friends, and resale value keep physical alive for millions of players.
The Switch 2 angle
The Switch 2 offers physical cartridges or Game-Key Cards alongside digital downloads. Their next major release, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, launches physically on November 5, 2026 — right on schedule.
KongMNG's take
Nintendo reading the room while Sony charges toward all-digital is peak Nintendo. The company that still sells you a plastic cartridge in 2026 knows exactly who its audience is. Physical isn't dead — it just moved to Kyoto.