It’s fair to say Nintendo’s new Game-Key Cards for Switch 2 have sparked a passionate response. When Nintendo pulled back the curtain on Switch 2 last month, it confirmed that several new Switch 2 game cards won’t always carry an actual game, but instead contain a key for a game download. Nintendo later clarified that Switch 2 Edition games contain both the game and the upgrade on the cartridge itself.
Switch 2 Game-Key Cards are physical cards that only contain a key to download your chosen game. That means there’s no actual game data on the card you insert into your Switch 2, so you’ll need to download it once the card is inserted. Every Game-Key Card case is appropriately labeled on the lower portion of the front of the box, so if you’re concerned about what exactly you’re purchasing, you should have a heads-up right away.
Games like Street Fighter 6 and the Bravely Default remaster do indeed feature this game-key card disclaimer. Others, such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, do not. The beefy Cyberpunk 2077, which weighs in at 64 GB on Nintendo Switch 2, comes on a cart.
Reaction to Nintendo’s Game-Key Cards has included strong comments from Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick, who said: “Seeing Nintendo do this is a little disheartening. You would hope that a company that big, that has such a storied history, would take preservation a little more seriously.”
In an interview to discuss the opening of the Nintendo San Francisco store, IGN asked Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser if physical media was still going to be a big part of Nintendo’s business, or whether he saw Game-Key Cards as the future.
“In the immediate future, physical games are still a key part of our business,” Bowser replied. “And we value our relationships in particular with our retailers, and want to make sure we have products available for them to sell to their consumers.”
Bowser then went on to explain what Nintendo is trying to achieve with Game-Key Cards, suggesting that they enable third-party publishers to bring bigger games to Switch 2.
“When you look at Game-Key Cards, for us, our goal with Nintendo Switch 2 – similar to what we were able to accomplish on Nintendo Switch – is to have the broadest and deepest library of content we possibly can,” Bowser said.
“And that includes our publishing partners. And Game-Key Cards are a way that our publishing partners are able to bring more content onto the platform, deeper and larger, more immersive content on the platform.”
CD Projekt has said it went with the highest capacity Switch 2 cart (64 GB) for Cyberpunk 2077, confirming 64 GB is the maximum size for all Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges. But Nintendo itself has kept its first-party game sizes to a minimum.
Nintendo Switch 2 game storage sizes:
Almost all physical third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games revealed so far are Game-Key Cards. As pointed out by Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research & Insights at Niko Partners, this focus on Game-Key Cards may put extreme pressure on the eShop around the Switch 2’s launch in June as fans rush to download their games.
“Game cards are significantly more expensive than discs (+ increases with each GB),” Ahmad added, explaining the reasoning for publishers.
“It takes time to ramp up production of multiple storage capacity game cards. Digital games / lower capacity cards offer higher margins for publishers. Digital is the majority of sales.”
Christopher Dring, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, went as far as to say the Game-Key Cards are “basically Christmas/birthday present boxes for wrapping up.”
“Ultimately, with fewer games retailers, rising manufacturing costs, the fact that younger generations just don’t care, plus the drive for sustainability, all points in one direction for physical media,” Dring added.
Check out IGN’s interview with Doug Bowser in full for more on the Nintendo San Francisco store and the Switch 2.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
