CD Projekt revealed that approximately 75% of Cyberpunk 2077 purchases on Nintendo Switch 2 were physical copies rather than digital downloads. This unusually high percentage for physical media comes at a time when most publishers are seeing the opposite trend across other platforms.
The strong physical sales appear directly linked to CD Projekt’s decision to ship the game on a full cartridge. Unlike several other third-party Switch 2 launch titles that used “game key cards“—essentially boxed download codes—Cyberpunk 2077 comes with the entire game on the cartridge itself.
This distinction matters more than you might think. The Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 contains roughly 60 GB of game data on the cartridge, requiring only a small patch at install. Compare that to titles using key cards, where buyers still need to download the full game despite paying for a physical box.
Storage space plays a huge role here. With the Switch 2 featuring 256 GB of internal storage, downloading a massive AAA game eats up nearly a quarter of available space. When you can get the same game on a cartridge without sacrificing storage, the choice becomes obvious for many players.
The timing likely boosted these numbers too. During console launch windows, buyers often grab physical games alongside their new hardware. Walking out of a store with a new system and actual games to play remains part of the excitement for many players.
Nintendo platforms have always maintained stronger physical sales compared to PlayStation and Xbox, but 75% is exceptional even by those standards. First-party Nintendo games regularly see healthy physical splits, but third-party titles typically lean more digital. Cyberpunk 2077 breaks that pattern completely.
Cartridges cost money, but apparently so does skipping them
The decision to produce full cartridges isn’t cheap. High-capacity Switch cartridges cost publishers significantly more than optical discs or download codes. Industry estimates suggest these cartridges can run around $16 per unit for the largest sizes. CD Projekt’s leadership even acknowledged that physical margins are lower than digital sales.
Yet the sales figures suggest that investment paid off. While other publishers opted for cheaper key card solutions to save on manufacturing costs, CD Projekt’s commitment to a proper physical release clearly resonated with Switch 2 buyers. The question now is whether other publishers will follow suit or continue prioritizing margins over physical media preferences.
