However, the Nintendo Switch physical release of the collection will still require you to download data for usage.

Metal Gear is finally on the comeback trail, and though next year’s Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be the true litmus test of how valiant those efforts will be, long-suffering series fans also have Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 to look forward to, which will include pretty much everything up to (and including) Metal Gear Solid 3 that you’d consider mainline in the franchise (including the first two Metal Gear games).

In fact, those who prefer to buy their games digitally will have the option to do that as well. Konami has confirmed that Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 will get a physical release on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

The Switch physical release will come with a caveat though, in that of the total 24.1 GB of content included in the package, only 2.4 GB of it will be front-loaded onto the cartridge, which means you’re still going to have to download everything else before you can actually use the cartridge… which sort of defeats the purpose of a physical release.

Interestingly, recent leaks have claimed that a Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 is also in the pipeline, and that it will finally release Metal Gear Solid 4 from its PS3 prison a decade and a half on from its launch, in addition to including Peace Walker and MGS5.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 launches for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 24.