clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Physical copies of Overwatch on Switch don’t include a cartridge

The world could always use more ... plastic?

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Overwatch’s Tracer points her guns in a piece of key artwork Blizzard Entertainment

If you’re planning on picking up Overwatch for Nintendo Switch this week — it’s out on Tuesday, Oct. 15, by the way — you might just want to grab your copy from the Nintendo eShop instead of trekking out to a brick-and-mortar retailer. The physical version of Overwatch for Switch doesn’t contain a physical cartridge, just a download code.

In some ways, that makes sense. Overwatch is an online-only multiplayer game. And the game has been updated consistently over the past three years; the PlayStation 4 install is pushing 30 GB at this point, for example. A physical cartridge would be little more than a digital key to the game, which regularly receives new content.

But it makes less sense to ship a plastic case to stores with a digital code printed on a piece of paper, despite Overwatch being a marquee Switch release that probably should have a physical presence in stores.

So if you were thinking about buying Overwatch physically for the purpose of having a game card that you could use on multiple Switch consoles, consider this a public service announcement. It says so right there on the box (“Game card not included!”) but plan your purchase accordingly.

Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our ethics policy.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for Patch Notes

A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon