Bethesda's Fallout 4 and Skyrim on Switch 2 may ship as boxed codes only

Bethesda is releasing physical editions of Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Nintendo Switch 2, but the boxes only contain download codes—no game cartridges.

My roommate laughed when he saw this. The whole point of buying physical is collecting and convenience, right? But you still have to download everything online. Might as well go digital. The box even says "does not include game card" on the cover. Feels like buying empty packaging.

Both games are huge files. Fallout 4 with all DLC is several gigabytes, and Skyrim Anniversary Edition is similar. Switch 2's built-in storage won't cut it—you'll need to buy an SD card. I wanted to play Skyrim co-op mods with friends, but now we're stuck waiting through downloads.

Bethesda acts like this is fine. Skyrim Anniversary Edition adds 60Hz mode, Fallout 4 gets DLSS support—sounds good on paper. But digital versions get these updates too. Why pay extra for a box?

If you just want the packaging for your shelf, go ahead. But if you actually plan to play, buy digital and save yourself the hassle. For those of us who game with friends regularly, this physical format is pointless. The download time alone could fit 5 rounds of Mario Kart 8.