Latest news with #Game-Key
Engadget
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Nintendo's day-one update for the Switch 2 is just a big 'ON' switch
Maybe you've camped out all night , or you've refreshed furiously at the risk of breaking your F5 key, but tomorrow you are finally getting your hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 . After tearing it open and booting it up, you might quickly realize that the console's functionality out of the box is basically non-existent. You have just purchased a very expensive paperweight. This is all by design, as Nintendo wanted the console as locked down as possible in order to prevent leaks ahead of time. They didn't even send review units to press ahead of launch this time around (it's fine, I'm not bitter). Now that the Switch 2 is out in parts of the world where it's already June 5, we're getting our first look at the patch notes for the console's day one update. The Version 20.1.1 update for the Switch 2 basically turns the console on. The day one update enables support for Switch 1 games, virtual game cards, the Nintendo eShop and those Game-Key cards where the physical card you bought doesn't actually contain the game, but allows you to download it. The patch notes themselves include some fairly important features like "use of Nintendo Switch Software" and "Nintendo Switch Online." You can read the full patch notes at nintendolife . Users will be prompted to update their consoles during initial setup, so it should be a seamless experience. I won't give them the clicks by linking here, but suffice to say seeing leakers and hackers get their hands on the console early only to realize they can't do much of anything was strangely satisfying.
Metro
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Over 75% of all PlayStation game sales are digital as physical sales plummet
As the physical games market continues to dwindle, new figures from Sony highlight how PlayStation players are continuing to shift towards digital purchases. The decline of physical games has been an ongoing story for years, with retailers like GAME being gradually chased off the high street, as more people opt for the convenience of digital. We're now seeing companies like Nintendo try to deter people away from buying physical games, with higher prices and the introduction of half-digital measures like Game-Key cards. Microsoft's entire strategy, with its emphasis on its Game Pass subscription service, has also downplayed the need for physical games. In its latest financial report, Sony has revealed just how much of the PlayStation audience is buying physical media and it's sadly (but unsurprisingly) a dwindling small number. As noted in Sony's earnings report for Q4 2024, which ended March 31, 2025, 80% of all worldwide software sales across PlayStation 4 and 5 worldwide were digital, up 3% over the same period last year. Most notably, 76% of all sales were digital over the entire 2024 financial year, which is a 6% increase from last year's total. While this figure might be slightly skewed, as it appears to include digital-only games as well as those with physical versions, the sharp increase is still a worrying sign for anyone still clinging onto the joys of a physical box. More Trending It's long been understood that Xbox fans are even more likely to buy digital than PlayStation, with a report revealing that just 19% of Xbox game sales in 2024 were via retail stores. This was down from 26% in 2023. This increase also tracks with prior reports. As noted by The Game Business, 64% of all PlayStation 5 games sold in Europe in 2024 were downloaded (however, this only counts games released digitally and physically, and in one specific region). According to GSD data, meanwhile, the physical games market in Europe dropped 22% in 2024, while UK physical unit sales fell 26%. Nintendo is still the company with the biggest presence at retail, as it's more targeted towards families (according to reports, sales of Switch games are still around 80% physical in Europe), so while physical copies might stick around for a while there, it feels like the next gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft will inevitably prioritise digital even further. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Iron Man game details leaked by EA as Marvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra delayed MORE: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 review – Power Stone revival MORE: Kingdom Hearts 4 gets new update as Square Enix cancels spin-off
