A Stardew Valley Switch physical release might end up being in the cards for other regions. In Japan, the game had a physical release in January 2019. Now, Eric “Concerned Ape” Barone has replied to a comment on Twitter that seems to suggest that retail copies could also end up appearing in other regions.
Here is the Stardew Valley Switch physical copy tease. The fact that Barone ended up saying “good chance” and included the ellipsis suggests that there could be some sort of plans being discussed.
Yes there is a good chance…
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) April 15, 2020
While the physical release is limited to Japan so far, it doesn’t lock people out. Nintendo Switch games are region-free, which means they can be played on systems regardless of where you purchased them, and the Stardew Valley Oizumi Amuzio release included the English language option. (Chinese, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish language options are also available in that physical release.) It also came with a mini-guidebook, map of the in-game town, and a soundtrack CD.
Stardew Valley is available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices worldwide. Stardew Valley Switch physical copies are available in Japan, but the physical copies are only available on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One outside of Japan.