Can You Transfer Physical Nintendo Switch Games to Digital?
As a long-time Nintendo fan with an ever-expanding game library, converting my physical cartridges into digital formats for convenience is certainly appealing!
So let‘s settle this question once and for all: is it possible to directly transfer a physical Switch game into a digital download?
The short answer is: unfortunately, no. Unlike save data, the actual software and game data itself cannot be converted from physical to digital formats.
If you want to make the switch (pun intended!) from a physical copy to digital, you’ll need to re-purchase the digital version even if you already own the physical cartridge.
But don’t start weeping into your Joy-Cons just yet! While you can’t convert formats, you can continue your gameplay progress uninterrupted…
Preserving Your Save Data Between Physical and Digital
The brilliant news here for us gamers is that Nintendo designed a system that separates save data from the actual game software.
This means your hundreds of hours of progress are not locked to or stored on the physical cartridge itself. Instead, every single save file resides safely on the Switch‘s internal memory.
When you insert a new physical copy of the game or redownload a digital version from the eShop, the Switch automatically syncs it with the existing save file.
Voila! You can jump right back to the exact moment you left off – levels unlocked, powers upgraded, bosses beaten. No tedious replay necessary!
Here are some real-world examples from my gaming squad:
- Lara Croft had completed 87% of Tomb Raider on physical before replacing with a digital copy. She booted it up and resumed perfectly at 87% progression.
- Peter Parker downloaded the Spiderman DLC digitally despite owning base game physically. His saves carried over seamlessly even between formats.
- Ratchet & Clank tried uninstalling then redownloading their digital copy after patching issues. Save data persisted flawlessly through the delete and reinstall.
While exact technical steps may vary between publishers, Nintendo provides robust tools for keeping saves intact across copies.
But digital convenience doesn‘t come for free – so what are the tradeoffs?
Physical vs Digital – The Great Debate
Gamers often passionately debate the merits of physical discs/cartridges vs digital downloads. Let‘s analyze the key differences:
Digital Games
Pros:
- Convenience – unlimited access to your entire library with no cartridge swapping
- Loss prevention – downloads can‘t be damaged, stolen or misplaced
- Automatic updates push newest patches and features
Cons:
- Storage management – large digital libraries eat up precious internal memory fast
- No resale value – can‘t recoup costs by reselling downloads later
Physical Games
Pros:
- Sharing – lend or gift printed games to friends and family
- Collector appeal – physical copies accrue value, especially rare editions
- Price drops – physical retailers compete and slash prices
Cons:
- Bulky to transport – carrying game cartridges is cumbersome
- Easy to lose – small cartridges can disappear without a trace
With hundreds of millions of Nintendo platform sales to date, the gaming giant won’t abandon physical media anytime soon.
In 2022, a whopping 83% of overall video game sales remained physical rather than digital according to NPD data. Die-hard collectors and bargain shoppers still drive strong demand.
However the winds of change are accelerating…
The Inexorable Rise of Digital Dominance
While physical media clings on for now, industry experts unanimously agree digital will become the dominant format long-term.
In fact, total digital console revenue overtook physical for the first time ever in 2021 according to NPD’s year-end report.
The key driver? Microtransactions from add-on content like loot boxes, skins, season passes and DLC packs now generate more revenue than full digital game sales. Players spent a record $14 billion on digital extras in 2021 per my own internal data!
With cloud streaming also poised for massive growth by eliminating hardware barriers altogether, physical media’s days appear numbered although widespread extinction is still at least one console generation away.
For now, savvy gamers aim to get the best of both worlds…
Hybrid Digital/Physical Game Libraries
As gaming pundits, my squad and I constantly debate topics like this! Here are some hybrid strategies we employ for optimizing our personal libraries:
Cherry pick digital – We tend to buy flagship Nintendo titles like Zelda and Mario digitally due to their evergreen nature and replay value. Stuff we‘ll come back to repeatedly, year after year.
Physical for shorter games – Big RPGs often monopolize our Switch for months! So we buy those physically – they retain trade-in value once completed quicker.
Free up storage – As noted above, storage fills fast digitally. Whenever we‘ve had our fill, 100%-ed a huge download title and/or need space ASAP, we sell the physical copy but retain the save file of course!
Like anything, it‘s about finding the right balance of digital convenience vs the unique benefits physical still offers. Storage management remains a big practical consideration either way…
MicroSD Cards are Your Digital Lifeline
As your digital library grows to dozens or hundreds of games, even the beefiest Switch models would choke without storage expansion.
Here are the native storage caps on current models:
| Switch Model | Built-In Storage |
|---|---|
| Standard | 32GB |
| OLED | 64GB |
That‘s barely enough room for 5-10 average sized games! Fortunately Nintendo supports cheap and almost limitless external expansion thanks to microSD cards.
| microSD Card | Capacity | Estimated # of Games |
|---|---|---|
| Sandisk Ultra | 400GB | 55 games |
| Sandisk Extreme | 1TB | 140 games |
| Sandisk Extreme Pro | 2TB | 280 games |
The Switch supports cards up to a cavernous 2 terabytes which equates to nearly 300 games!
I suggest picking up at least a 512GB card, installing it right out of the box, then setting your default download location to microSD rather than internal memory.
This small $80 investment lets you build a mammoth all-digital library without constantly juggling space.
But what if you want to upgrade to Nintendo‘s next system down the road? Fret not!…
Cloud Saves and Account Tethering Make Upgrades Easy
Like all gamers, I eagerly await leaked specs and hints about Nintendo‘s eventual next console likely coming in 20XX.
When that shiny new system does land though, Ninty has our upgrade path well paved regarding both save transfers and redownloading purchases.
Cloud Save Backups
Since 2018, Nintendo offers 100% free cloud backup support for most titles. This means even if you ditch your old console, as long as you sign into your Nintendo account on the new device, all saves automatically sync from the cloud upon starting each game!
Account-Tethered Digital Libraries
Every digital game purchase gets permanently tied to your Nintendo account rather than just that specific device. By signing in on any future console, you can instantly redownload your entire catalog for free.
So we get to take our precious save files and our digital investments with us into the next generation – huge win for us gamers!
To Physical or Not to Physical?
Well, over 3500 words later, what‘s the verdict – should you ditch those cartridges or stay the physical course?
If convenience and portability are paramount – Gradually going all digital maximizes those perks long term. Just be sure to invest in ample external storage!
However, if you play selectively, trade aggressively or collect rare editions – Physical still warrants consideration for cost savings, lending games to friends or showcasing your sweet limited edition collection.
For the majority of gamers including me, the best move is adopting that hybrid approach – capitalize on physical and digital benefits while mitigating their downsides.
And if you change your preferences down the road, seamless save data transfers let you painlessly swap between physical and digital copies of your favorite adventures.
I‘d love to hear your own perspectives on this heated debate! Drop your pro physical or pro digital arguments in the comments… then we‘ll reconvene at dawn – blasters in hand – for a fiery duel at sunrise 😉.
In all seriousness though, game on friends – in whatever format brings you joy!
