For years, Nintendo Switch players have experienced frustration with eShop charts flooded by shovelware, low-priced, often low-quality games that gain brief visibility by sheer volume of downloads rather than lasting appeal.
Shovelware titles, often priced around a dollar or less, would rack up sales quickly and claim top spots in the “best seller” lists, turning the digital storefront into a cluttered space where quality releases struggled to stand out.
This trend confused buyers seeking standout games and damaged the curated image Nintendo typically maintains for its consoles.
While the sudden visibility of cheap shovelware may have briefly boosted downloads, it crowded out genuine indie projects and premium releases that require more discovery time. Many players felt the eShop charts no longer reflected community favorites or trusted reviews but were instead a revolving door for bargain-bin filler.
The Shift: From Downloads to Revenue-Based Rankings
This update was first spotted after a system software update in April 2025 and confirmed through official Nintendo eShop pages, which disclose the new revenue-focused methodology at the bottom of the charts.
What this means in practice is that a $1 game needs to sell far more copies than a $20 game to compete for a top spot.
Shovelware titles, which historically relied on ultra-low prices and mass downloads to climb charts, are now less visible. On the other hand, premium and full-priced games that generate more revenue per sale have gained improved chart positions.
Community members on r/NintendoSwitch have praised this move as a long-needed course correction. Sales data and player insights suggest that the quality of games featured on the charts has visibly improved, with well-followed releases, timely AAA drops, and beloved indie titles ranking higher.
Benefits for Developers and Players Alike
This change to a revenue-based system helps level the playing field, allowing developers who invest in crafting rich player experiences to receive deserved exposure.
Indie creators with high-quality games but smaller marketing budgets find new opportunities as their revenue reflects genuine player interest rather than transient download spikes by bargain hunters.
For players, chart discovery feels more trustworthy and less cluttered. Popular and well-supported games like Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Hades 2, and Nintendo’s own franchises consistently appear atop charts, reinforcing confidence in the ranking system’s relevance.
Meanwhile, lower-priced filler titles often fade quickly rather than dominating for a few days.
This shift also encourages healthier pricing and sales strategies across the ecosystem. Developers can avoid the pitfall of deep discounting to chase chart visibility and instead focus on delivering complete, polished games.
For Nintendo, this means fostering a more sustainable marketplace that balances player satisfaction with developer success.
What Switch Watchers Are Saying
Players tracking these changes across multiple weeks have noted other behaviors suggesting Nintendo is actively refining the eShop experience beyond just revenue-focused rankings.
These include periodic rebalancing of charts to account for regional differences and the introduction of curated collections aimed at spotlighting hidden gems.
Nintendo’s eShop (Credit: Reddit)
Several long-time Switch community members credit Nintendo for responding to vocal feedback about shovelware overshadowing meaningful releases.
Although shovelware hasn’t disappeared entirely, its dominance has waned sufficiently for the eShop environment to feel less like a bargain bin and more like a thoughtful storefront.
This renewed chart integrity has rekindled excitement around newer titles and encouraged exploration within genres previously buried under piles of discount releases.
As games like Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 Edition rise in visibility, more players feel motivated to expand their collections with quality choices.
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
While the revenue-based system marks substantial progress, there are limitations and ongoing concerns. The approach naturally favors higher-priced games, which may disadvantage certain indie titles aimed at more niche audiences or lower budgets.
Some budget-conscious players worry that the lack of visibility for cheaper games could reduce access and discovery for titles appealing to casual or price-sensitive segments.
Additionally, purely revenue-based rankings can fluctuate with limited sales windows during big promotions or discounts, causing temporary chart volatility. Nintendo may need to consider fine-tuning weighting factors or combining metrics such as player reviews and engagement alongside revenue for a balanced approach.
Transparency about chart mechanics is also key. Although Nintendo proudly displays the revenue-based ranking method, more communication about chart updates and curation goals would help players understand and trust ongoing changes.
Looking Forward: Sustaining Quality Discovery on Switch
The update to the Switch eShop charts is a clear attempt to reshape the storefront into a place where quality reliably surfaces for players. It aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing discoverability, player trust, and developer fairness in digital marketplaces.
As Nintendo continues iterating on this system, community input and data-driven adjustments will likely sharpen chart accuracy and relevance. With a healthier, more curated eShop environment, the digital storefront can strengthen its role as a hub for great gaming experiences rather than a battleground of low-cost saturation.
For developers, this means focusing on delivering value and meaningful content rather than chasing artificial chart placements. For players, it means spending time and money with more confidence, knowing the top charts better reflect what’s truly worth playing.
Nintendo’s move to prioritize revenue over raw downloads demonstrates a stronger commitment to quality, not just in hardware or first-party games but across its entire digital ecosystem. This is a welcome step as the Switch and its successor, the Switch 2, continue to grow and captivate millions worldwide.
Sony officially activated full-length user reviews on the PlayStation Store on October 9, 2025, marking one of the most community-driven changes to the platform in years.
For the first time, players can write 4,000-character essays about their favorite or least favorite PS5 and PS4 games, complete with titles, spoiler warnings, and purchase verification tags.
The feature, accessible through the web-based version of the PS Store, feels like a deliberate response to longstanding demands from users who wanted transparency similar to what Steam has long allowed.
Each submission is tied to a verified digital purchase, promising to curb review bombing and false claims from non-owners. It’s a quiet but significant acknowledgment that player opinion now holds measurable value in purchase decisions.
Across platforms like Push Square and Wccftech, the feature earned praise for giving gamers a chance to speak directly from the storefront itself, rather than through external forums or Reddit discussions. Yet the rollout didn’t pass without growing pains.
The Visibility Problem: Reviews Without Spotlight
While this feature fulfills a long-requested community function, PlayStation LifeStyle and other outlets quickly flagged serious concerns regarding visibility and moderation. Reviews currently appear only under individual product pages instead of surfacing on the store’s front page, discovery tabs, or trending charts.
That means a thoughtful 3,000-character review from a passionate player still won’t be seen by anyone unless they deliberately click on that game’s page.
Critics worry this design decision effectively buries one of the most potentially influential tools Sony has added. Without prominent placement, reviews remain background noise rather than meaningful conversation starters.
Moderation is another sticking point. With thousands of games listed and players writing freely, questions arise about how Sony will balance open user feedback with quality control or toxicity prevention.
Unlike Steam, which has refined community rules over a decade, Sony is just starting its public-review ecosystem. Early submissions show a mix of insightful reviews and raw emotion, with little clarity yet on moderation timelines.
Still, the move is forward-thinking. As players continue demanding accountability from studios and storefronts alike, the presence of visible, worded reviews signals that PlayStation is listening, even if not amplifying those voices loudly yet.
Why the Shelf Still Matters: Context from ESA 2025
The Entertainment Software Association’s (ESA) 2025 Essential Facts report highlighted a crucial cultural shift: the average video game player is 36 years old. This statistic debunks the myth that games are primarily for children and reinforces how digital visibility influences adults as much as it does younger audiences.
Kids still play in large numbers, but shelf space, ratings, and reviews increasingly guide adult purchase decisions. The ESA data also noted that over 70% of players read reviews before buying.
That habit now stretches across physical and digital shelves alike. By hosting reviews directly on the PS Store, Sony positions game pages as both a retail hub and a reader’s guide.
PS Store (Credit: Reddit)
Adults deciding between a premium single-player title or a subscription service entry are more likely to trust authentic, peer-written reviews over marketing blurbs.
A digital storefront review section means the shopping process becomes conversational rather than transactional. The difference may not fully show in the short term, but it signals the kind of marketplace Sony intends to nurture, where user trust is part of the product experience.
Are Reviews Enough to Rebuild Store Trust?
Despite this positive step, the PS Store itself still faces larger perception challenges. Some users describe its interface as cluttered and slow, with inconsistent search results and overemphasis on high-profile titles. Adding reviews doesn’t fix those structural concerns overnight.
However, it does begin to restore agency for everyday players. For years, corporate curation dominated what gamers saw first. Now, real owners of titles can shape the perception other players encounter, much like Steam’s mixed or positive ratings do in shorthand form.
The long-form feedback system humanizes the transaction process, creating a space for storytelling and perspective, not just a number or star rating.
Still, without improvements in review placement, Sony risks letting this tool quietly exist rather than actively thrive. Gamers tend to engage with content they can easily find; if they must dig for it, attention dwindles fast. PlayStation will need to decide whether user input is decorative or truly part of its sales ecosystem.
The Emotional Core Behind Reviews
Gamers are storytellers. A well-written review can express frustration, joy, nostalgia, or surprise better than any trailer ever could. PS Store’s review system gives those emotions permanence.
Whether it’s a glowing tribute to a studio’s effort or constructive criticism pointing out technical flaws, every voice contributes to a living memory of that game’s impact.
This aspect ties back to the ESA’s age data. Adults bring context and history to their reviews; they grew up with games evolving from consoles like the PS2 to the PS5.
They articulate immersion, pacing, and creativity through the lens of experience. Kids, meanwhile, express excitement and first-time wonder. Together, those perspectives create a generational fusion that defines game culture today.
Even if moderation tensions persist, the sharing of playable experiences in an official store setting humanizes PlayStation’s brand image. It turns the PS Store from a static library into a community-driven gallery of opinions and reflections.
What Comes Next for Sony’s Storefront
Sony hasn’t confirmed when, or if, these web-based reviews will extend to the console versions of the store, where traffic is significantly higher. Most players still use their PS5 system interface rather than a browser to browse deals and buy games.
If reviews eventually go live on consoles, they could directly influence what shows up in recommendation rows, friend activity feeds, or sale highlights.
Until then, this feels like the framework of something much bigger, a foundation Sony can iterate on as it studies user participation rates and moderation quality. If adapted correctly, PS Store reviews could set a new consumer standard for console marketplaces, allowing emotional transparency to coexist with digital retail.
Gamers have wanted their say for years. Now, PlayStation has technically given them the microphone. The question is whether the platform will turn up the volume enough for everyone to hear it.
