The eagerly awaited launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5th has been greeted with record-breaking sales figures, but an unusual anomaly in its bundled release has fueled heated debate within the gaming community. Purchasers have complained of buying the “Mario Kart World” bundle, only to find themselves being sent vastly different packages depending on where they are based, reigniting the long-running argument concerning the comparative value of physical versus digital versions of games.
While most of the purchasers of the “Mario Kart World” package expected to get a physical game cartridge, many have received only a digital download code. This has been disappointing for consumers anticipating having a physical copy, something rooted in the potential to resell games, lend them out to friends, or just the want that they prefer a physical set. To add to the annoyance, even some players have been encountering technical issues and error messages when trying to download “Mario Kart World” online.
But a new photo recently posted by Reddit user SilverBar8389 has illuminated another experience. The user reportedly found a physical copy of “Mario Kart World” included with their Switch 2 bundle, demonstrating that Nintendo is actually shipping out physical cartridges in at least some regions, potentially those with limited eShop access. This region-based inconsistency has been frustrating to gamers who were dispatched digital copies and left to wonder about Nintendo’s shipping policy.
Even though Nintendo officially protested releasing first-party games on “Game Key-Cards”, the availability of physical releases in certain regions is a sign of an ongoing unease within the industry. To old-school gamers, the siren call of a physical set, unencumbered by digital rights management restrictions and the threat of server deletions, remains potent. As Nintendo Switch 2 becomes established in the market, these differences in bundle items will certainly be a talking point, affecting purchasing decisions and hypothesising over the long-term preferences within the worldwide gaming market.
