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Digital or physical?


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Friends, for many reasons, the only setup I can have is a Switch without any microsd cards. I currently have around 25GB left. I usually buy games physical and only smaller size games like Red Strings Club/Valiant Hearts digitally. 

Think it is ok to buy digitally for FE 3Houses given that this is a game that I will always play and I like FE series a lot? Im worried cuz there is DLC not sure if I can store everything. Because the next FE game on Switch will probably be another 12 GB and thus I will run out of space.

Will I have to worry about the next FE game coming out anytime within 2020? Because there is no 64GB storage Switch announced. Any advice appreciated, thanks friends. 

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The "No MicroSD card, ever." restriction seems awfully arbitrary? If you think it could be an option some time in the future, feel free to fill up your internal storage.
I would generally advise against digital downloads of larger titles if you don't have access to expanded storage, though.

Some notes:

  • There are some physical games that still need a significant amount of storage space on the Switch. Some publishers like to skimp on cartridge costs, and you can end up with several extra GB to download and keep on your internal memory. Without expanded storage, this can eat up your remaining space fast. 
  • Outside that, there's still patches and other updates and stuff, and all that needs space too. Some games have pretty large save games, too.
  • You can "Archive" stuff on your Switch. It'll delete the game, but keep the save files and menu icon, ready to download again. 
  • I wouldn't expect a next Fire Emblem until 2021 at the earliest.

All in all, if you think Three Houses is going to be your only (large) digital title, go ahead.
Otherwise, yeah, go physical.

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The big question I want to ask is: do you buy a lot of the DLC for the physical games you play?  If the answer to that question is yes then I would say get the physical version and save your space for DLC and updates.  If the answer is no then go ahead and buy the digital version.  It really depends on if you think you will need your storage space or not.

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I preordered the game physical from Gamestop since I really wanted those extra pins. I didn’t mind paying ten dollars more for handling as I wanted to play the game on the day it releases haha (not enough space on my Switch for more downloads as big as TH!)

Edited by AyraTsareena
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Digital remains the lesser product because you have fewer rights by going that route - you are completely at the mercy of the digital storefront and they can deny you access or revoke your purchase for any reason. Unfortunately this is the reality for all PC games outside DRM-free distributors (e.g. GOG), but for console games we can still assert our ownership rights no matter what the EULA says. Too many horror stories of people losing access to their accounts and thus to their entire library of games. Furthermore, the resale angle is obvious, and while I never resell my games, I support the ability to do so on principle.

Now if the lesser product came with a commensurate reduction in cost of entry, then it might be palatable, but as it stands, there's generally no savings to be had, making it a strictly losing proposition.

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7 minutes ago, Humanoid said:

Digital remains the lesser product because you have fewer rights by going that route - you are completely at the mercy of the digital storefront and they can deny you access or revoke your purchase for any reason. Unfortunately this is the reality for all PC games outside DRM-free distributors (e.g. GOG), but for console games we can still assert our ownership rights no matter what the EULA says. Too many horror stories of people losing access to their accounts and thus to their entire library of games. Furthermore, the resale angle is obvious, and while I never resell my games, I support the ability to do so on principle.

Now if the lesser product came with a commensurate reduction in cost of entry, then it might be palatable, but as it stands, there's generally no savings to be had, making it a strictly losing proposition.

You summed up my thoughts exactly. I only buy digital if that's the only format the game comes in. Other than that, I prefer physical copies, both for collection and because it can't be revoked on my account. Digital copies are the same price as physical ones as far as I know, and they have less value. You can't sell them unless you sell your Switch and account, which is risky and outright idiotic, especially if your credit card or other money is attached to said account.

As I've said on a few other topics, I pre-ordered a physical copy of the Special Edition (give me that art book!!!!). I am chomping at the bit waiting for it. Friday is so close but still not here. 

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On 7/23/2019 at 4:32 AM, Modirufa6317 said:

Unless it's really hard to find a game store in your neighborhood, I don't see any reason to not get the physical version.

There are plenty of reasons to not get the physical version.

1) digital is just far more convenient. Buy and preload the game and start playing at midnight EST on the 26th

2) your options for physical are to order online or drive to a store. most stores don't do midnight releases for this game and only a few people who ordered online were lucky enough to get early copies.

3) pretty easy to lose a physical game. i've lost plenty of games over the years due to misplacing/theft/etc.

4) why contribute to waste and pollution by buying physical?

 

 

Also this fear of losing a digital game from your account is massively overblown. Nobody buys physical music, movies, or PC games anymore, so why are you worried so much about games? It's an overblown fear. And yes you can point out the Wii eshop, but realistically hardly anyone is still interested in re-downloading their old games off the Wii eshop and Nintendo has built a new ecosystem that should last for decades.

Edited by bufkus
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