{"id":13096,"date":"2026-08-19T03:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T00:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/?p=13096"},"modified":"2026-08-19T04:44:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T01:14:32","slug":"the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/2026\/08\/19\/the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stardew Valley Switch 2 Physical Edition Is the Kind of Cash Grab I Can Get Behind"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Eight months after the Switch 2 edition of Stardew Valley was released digitally, a physical edition of the upgrade has popped up at Fangamer. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The physical Switch 2 edition, which is listed at $39, might not be the most worthwhile purchase for anyone who already owns the OG. It technically includes the original Switch version of the game, which is almost always under $35 on Amazon, and the otherwise free Switch 2 upgrade pack.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As someone who doesn\u2019t have a physical edition of the game, however, I&#8217;m feeling very inclined. What you\u2019re really paying those $5 extra for is a beautiful cartridge and the new Switch 2 packaging. Five years ago I would have said that\u2019s a pretty silly thing to cough up a couple extra bucks for, but in 2026, I have nothing but praise for any commitment to physical media. <\/p>\n<div id=\"241699\">\n<div class=\"jsx-3980863763 catalog-wrapper\"><span data-cy=\"productcard-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"241699\" data-cy=\"solo-product-card\" class=\"solo-product SoloProduct_solo-product__r2_WP\">\n<div class=\"card jsx-303513100 jsx-3341285356 product-card SoloProduct_product-card__JSk8u\">\n<div class=\"product-thumbnail jsx-2285132617 SoloProduct_image__vqG4e\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Stardew Valley - Switch 2 Edition (Physical)\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387 expand\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind.jpg\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"product-badge jsx-3056253127 jsx-1233459104\">\n<p>Out February 5, 2027<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-2827240024 name balanced\">Stardew Valley &#8211; Switch 2 Edition (Physical)<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button jsx-3027214138 jsx-3347269829 icon-button catalog-upvote SoloProduct_catalog-upvote__FWsVx centered disabled\" type=\"button\" title=\"Vote\" aria-label=\"Vote\" data-cy=\"catalog-upvote\" disabled><span class=\"ign-icon icon-rating-like jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"icon-rating-like\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>1<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Switch 2 edition of Stardew Valley is currently available for preorder from Fangamer, Target, and Best Buy. All retailers have the game listed at $39.99 with a release date of February 5, 2026. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Some Reddit users are already theorizing that date may line up with the release of Update 1.7, but that seems a little far-fetched. The Fangamer listing confirms the Switch 2 edition includes the 1.6 update of the game, with future free updates \u201cavailable to download as they\u2019re released.\u201d <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">While Fangamer notes the final product may look different from the mock-up, I think we can trust the main strokes. The listing shows a variation of the OG\u2019s box art, with the same farm and animals but in a lighter, more pastel color scheme, which can be reversed to show off a &#8220;Joja-themed&#8221; cover. It also comes with an 18-page guidebook, presumably the same one as the existing Switch version. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Stardew, which was originally released on Steam in 2016, got its first physical release for the Xbox One and PS4 a year later. That Switch edition, which also produced in collaboration with Fangamer, was released as both a Standard and a Deluxe edition back in 2020.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The new Switch 2 edition seems to only be getting the Standard treatment. For now, at least. If you do want all of the extra Deluxe edition goodies, there\u2019s nothing stopping you from grabbing that for the OG Switch and then getting the Switch 2 upgrade pack for free through the Nintendo Store. <\/p>\n<section class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\">certain Bethesda game for getting a million different editions. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The reality is the physical media landscape has shifted dramatically in the past decade, and any release on disc or cartridge seems to take particular&#8230; dedication. PlayStation, citing the continued shift to digital purchases, has committed to abandoning discs altogether. <\/p>\n<p><span data-cy=\"poll-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<section class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\"><\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Nintendo, on the other hand, recently reported that almost 40% of purchases of its games are still from physical editions. The reality is that I\u2019m willing to use the scraps in my wallet to support that. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In the case of Stardew, a solo-developed masterpiece that\u2019s consistently gotten updates over the course of 10 years, I\u2019m even more open to celebrating (and investing in) that preservation. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Stardew Valley recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. We re-reviewed the game back in 2024, giving the cozy masterpiece a well-deserved 10\/10. We also got the chance to sit down with creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) earlier this year to learn more about the independent developer\u2019s journey to now and what he plans for Stardew going forward. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">While there\u2019s still no exact release date, we know a little about what to expect from the next major Stardew update, 1.7, including two new marriage candidates. The developer has also confirmed he is &#8220;still grinding&#8221; on his next standalone game, Haunted Chocolatier. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Blythe (she\/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind-1.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/the-stardew-valley-switch-2-physical-edition-is-the-kind-of-cash-grab-i-can-get-behind-1.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-13096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-49","tag-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13096"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13098,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13096\/revisions\/13098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}