if I turn off wifi, my Switch won't get any updates, right?

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Hi all, sorry if this is super basic I just want to confirm before spending some cash.

If I turn off wifi on my Nintendo Switch, that will stop it from updating, right?

 

I'm considering one of those little pinball cabinets you can slide the Switch in to but given Williams tables have changed licenses and publishers over the years, I'd be annoyed if I got a cabinet, set up Pinball FX to my liking only to find five years from now they lost the license and my pinball cab doesn't do what I want it to do anymore.

 

If I turn off wifi, that'll stop it, right?

[Tanooki]

Yes it can't update if you don't set it up for internet.  If you're super worried WIFI or not, just erase your network settings on the system.

[roots.genoa]

Licensing has no relation to your Switch's firmware, though. If you buy a game, it should still be accessible the way it was, especially if it's in physical form. Don't forget to read the terms of use (if there are some) though, because it's technically possible but it never happens except for games as a service and online heavy games.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Good to know/confirm ... thanks guys!

[Video]

I use an "unavailable" network with my switch. Something like my cellphone which is rarely on for internet purposes. I just occasionally update, like once a year or so, instead of the constant IV of internet. I mean, I can see an online heavy game needing more updates, but daily or weekly? So any device that uses internet I work this way, when the internets off it won't update.

[dendawg]

On 4/15/2024 at 4:16 PM, roots.genoa said:

If you buy a game, it should still be accessible the way it was, especially if it's in physical form.

Mostly true. If you purchase a compilation of games however (Crash Bandicoot Nsane trilogy for one), only one game will be available. The others need to be downloaded.

[Tanooki]

Crash N Sane on Switch has all games on the card, it was Spyro where they went douche-y cheap skate and only put the first on the card.  It's why I don't own Spyro.

[Video]

Me too. I love spyro, but won't support this type of broken game. I stay away from all the games with the blue "download required" line on the label. While pretty much any game will try to update if you hook to the internet, as of yet, none are out and out broken if they don't have the download required line. (In my experience, I'm sure some exist)

 

Its why switch is my system of choice, they still make games sans internet, AND clearly mark broken ones. After Xbox one which required downloading every game I bought on it, I'm done with Microsoft. And ps4 worked fine, but as of yet I've not heard of any must haves on ps5 so I've not upgraded yet. Here's hoping it followed ps4 and not Xbox ones formula.

 

I'd gladly buy spyro, if they fully released it on a card, I'd even pay extra for that, so the current one game card or digital doesn't do it for me.

[DavidD]

In theory, a future Switch cartridge could carry a firmware update on the cartridge itself... so it's possible you'd be prompted to do a system firmware update even without WiFi.

[roots.genoa]

3 hours ago, DavidD said:

In theory, a future Switch cartridge could carry a firmware update on the cartridge itself... so it's possible you'd be prompted to do a system firmware update even without WiFi.

Yes but you're talking about the system's firmware, the op is worried about licensing issues on a specific game.

[Video]

Yes, upgrading the console has always been on the game cart/disc (in Nintendo's case) I don't mind that, as the game has the update on it, so conceivably I could get a nos switch 20 years from now, and all my complete games should work, even if they need an updated system os, which has been done since 2k on most systems.

 

However, once the server goes down, dd, or those partial games (spyro) won't work, cause you physically won't be able to legit download it anymore.

 

People forget, or don't care, that this has already happened. In my case, xbox and ps2. Yes original Xbox had dd games and some updates. Wasn't as prolific as ps3/360, but those servers were killed years ago and you can't legit get those games on real hardware anymore.

 

Due to the clusterf### nature of their service, I've never had Nintendo's online service, but I hear their actually the worst, no online for DS, or 3DS, GameCube, Wii or U each service being pulled within a couple years of the consoles end.

 

Some of us just don't support that. The hard copies will always be around, yes, including bitrot, and other issues, these games will outlast me (and probably kids and grandkids) but the incomplete games will always be incomplete, and quickly the digital broken parts will not work.

[DavidD]

6 hours ago, Video said:

I've never had Nintendo's online service, but I hear their actually the worst, no online for DS, or 3DS, GameCube, Wii or U each service being pulled within a couple years of the consoles end.

 

Some of us just don't support that. The hard copies will always be around, yes, including bitrot, and other issues, these games will outlast me (and probably kids and grandkids) but the incomplete games will always be incomplete, and quickly the digital broken parts will not work.

It's worth pointing out that while the Wii and 3DS online stores have closed, owners can still download their purchased games.

 

I mean, I assume they'll shut them down EVENTUALLY, but the Wii eShop is still allowing downloads, five years after its official shutdown.

[jhd]

On 5/27/2024 at 6:20 PM, Video said:

People forget, or don't care, that this has already happened. In my case, xbox and ps2. 

 

Which PlayStation 2 games? That system did not usually have a hard drive (and there is no reasonable way to add one to the Slim model), so software updates are not possible unless they can fit on a memory card.

 

The only example that comes to mind is Final Fantasy XI (which was the only North American release to require a hard drive); I think that there were also a few Japanese games with some optional DLC.