Sonic's Ditching the Download: Full Game on Switch 2 Cartridge? Bloody Hell, Sega's Actually Done It!
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Sega's actually putting the whole of 'Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' on a Switch 2 game card, which is a delightful surprise in a world of ever-increasing download sizes and incomplete physical releases, and you know that the crossover skins will be amazing.
Right, so here's a twist I genuinely didn't see coming. Sega, bless their cotton socks, is actually putting the *full* game of 'Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' on the Switch 2 game card. I know, I know, deep breaths. In an age where we're practically guaranteed to need a day-one patch the size of Tasmania just to boot up a game, this feels like a bloody miracle.
According to Eurogamer, who broke the news (and are, as always, doing the Emperor's work), this is a deliberate move to buck the trend. Seems like most third-party devs are planning to ship Switch 2 games with, essentially, just a download code nestled inside a fancy plastic case. Remember the outcry when 'Sonic x Shadow Generations' did exactly that? I sure do.
'Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds' is slated for release on pretty much everything (PS4, PS5, Xboxes, PC, the original Switch) on September 25th. The Switch 2 digital version will arrive later this year during the holidays, while we poor physical edition fans will have to wait until "early 2026." Still, at least when it *does* arrive, we'll actually *own* the game, eh?
Now, there's a bit of a price hike for the Switch 2 version. The standard edition will set you back £64.99, while the digital deluxe version is a hefty £79.99. Ouch. That's compared to a more reasonable £54.99 on the original Switch. There's also an upgrade pack for those of us planning to double-dip (original Switch now, Switch 2 later) that'll carry over your progress. Apparently, that'll be a tenner (or $10, at least; Eurogamer's chasing up the UK pricing – go get 'em!).
The customization trailer that dropped alongside this news is frankly, bonkers. Sega's boasting over 70,000 unique vehicle combinations. 70,000! Blimey, I'll be spending more time tinkering with stats and weapon combos than actually *racing*. But hey, who am I to complain? More content is always a good thing, right? (…right?).
And let's not forget the, shall we say, *eclectic* roster of crossover characters. We're talking Joker from Persona 5, Ichiban from the Like A Dragon series, Hatsune Miku, and even Steve from Minecraft. It's like Sega raided every corner of the gaming multiverse and said, "You're coming with us!"
Eurogamer's Alex Donaldson reckons this game "might be the most mechanically rich kart racer ever made." High praise indeed. But honestly, even if it's only half as good as that sounds, the fact that Sega's delivering the full game on a cartridge for the Switch 2 is enough to earn my respect. For now, anyway. Let's just hope they don't sneak in any surprise DLC requirements or always-online DRM later down the line... but I'm staying cautiously optimistic!
Tags: Sonic Racing, Nintendo Switch 2, Sega, Kart Racing, Gaming News
Original article: Eurogamer