When Nintendo Switch 2 launches in June, many of the first games that are released for the system will be on Game-Key Cards. These cartridges simply act as a “key” to download the game from the eShop, and don’t actually contain the data. Since this was first announced, several third-party physical games for the system have been confirmed to be on Game-Key Cards, including Sonic x Shadow Generations and Street Fighter 6. This has a lot of Nintendo fans upset, and questioning whether they want to support these types of releases.
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What’s frustrating about the Game-Key Cards is that a lot of video game collectors prefer physical media to digital. Over the last 8 years, Switch collectors have shown a lot of passion for physical games, and there’s a huge market for those that have the full games on the cartridge. The reality is, gamers feel very strongly about being able to play and access their games in the future, just as they do now with older titles released on systems like Super Nintendo, or Game Boy Advance. The theory being, once these games are no longer available to download, the Game-Key Cards will be little more than empty cartridges, with no use or value. When a full game is on a cartridge or disc, that assures buyers that it will be playable long into the future.
The frustration towards Game-Key Card releases can be seen across the internet, on social media and on sites like Reddit. Limited Run Games recently announced a massive, $250 collector’s edition for RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army. Given Limited Run’s commitment to physical game releases, and the steep price tag, many fans assumed this would come with a physical cart of the game, but instead it’s the same Game-Key Card that can be purchased from other retailers. It seems likely that future Switch 2 offerings from LRG will actually be available on a physical cartridge, but there’s no way of knowing for sure.
While many Switch 2 games have been confirmed to use Game-Key Cards, there have been some notable exceptions. Nintendo’s own games will be on actual cartridges, as will games from Marvelous such as Daemon X Machina Titanic Scion, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar. Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 will have the full game and DLC on the actual cartridge when it’s released. Nintendo posted a Creator’s Voice video about the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 this morning, and the comments are filled with fans thanking CD Projekt Red for offering an actual physical version of the game. Clearly, people feel very strongly about this!
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With the Nintendo Switch 2 era just over a month away, it will be interesting to see if the negative feedback towards Game-Key Cards will convince some companies to abandon them altogether. There’s a lot of vocal frustration, but at the end of the day, those who care about physical game releases are probably a minority when it comes to gaming. At the very least, there are some benefits to Game-Key Cards versus the “code in a box” model we saw with some Switch releases; Switch 2 users can still trade these in at retailers like GameStop, or sell them on the secondary market. That is a step up, but it remains to be seen how fans will feel about it when the system actually launches.
How do you feel about the Game-Key Cards for Nintendo Switch 2? Will you be buying any games that use them? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
