With the arrival of the Switch 2, Nintendo will launch its support for virtual game cards. These carry a simple license that allows a title to be downloaded via the eShop, so the title is not stored directly on the cartridge, despite being sold in physical format.
In terms of game preservation, we’ve clearly seen better. After all, should Nintendo’s servers ever go down, these virtual cards would be rendered useless. Players would no longer have access to the game they would normally own.
This fear is shared by several game preservation specialists, such as Stephen Kick, CEO of Nightdive Studios. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, he said that "it’s a little discouraging to see Nintendo doing this".
