I was a little dubious of the Nintendo Switch 2 when it was first announced. But since the system’s release, I’ve had nothing but praise for it. Nintendo’s Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are among the year’s best games, but I’m thrilled the Switch 2’s library also includes current third-party releases. Impressive ports like Cyberpunk 2077 and Street Fighter 6 prove that the system can deliver quality visuals and performance in both docked and handheld modes without too much sacrifice. Couple that with the unexpectedly wide-ranging performance boost in its backward compatibility, and the Switch 2 is proving to be the little handheld that could.
But there is one blemish that seems to be getting worse as time goes on–and that’s the reliance on Game-Key Cards, physical cartridges that don’t contain the full game. Last week’s Nintendo Partner Direct proved that third-party support was strong for the new system, but it also showed us that Game-Key Cards are here to stay, and that’s ruining my excitement around the Switch 2’s third-party releases.
The Problem With Game-Key Cards
Game-Key Cards might seem no different than any other physical cartridge at first glance. In Nintendo’s words, Game-Key Cards are “your ‘key’ to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.” So while Game-Key Cards are sold in physical cases, these cartridges require an internet connection to download the game’s files before playing.
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After the initial download, you don’t need to be on the internet to play, though you will need to keep the cartridge inserted in the system. Game-Key Cards are also not tied to a Nintendo account, so you can use them on other Switch 2 consoles or lend and resell your games. In a way, Nintendo is trying to bridge the gap between a full physical release and the dreaded “code-in-a-box” releases on the Nintendo Switch, in which you may have guessed, are just download codes in a box.
So what’s the problem here? For starters, that initial internet requirement can be a concern for those with limited or no internet access. Most people in the US, at least, have internet access. But that doesn’t account for download speeds and ISP data caps, which could make larger download sizes even more of a headache.
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, a remaster of the 2016 release, is available as a Game-Key Card. (Credit: Sega)
But before downloading the game, you must make space for it on your Nintendo Switch 2. The Nintendo Switch 2 only comes with 256GB of internal storage, which is not a lot of memory when you realize that Switch 2 download sizes are not small. Take a look at the download sizes of some third-party Switch 2 releases: Split Fiction requires about 71GB, Street Fighter 6 needs about 48.8GB of space, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut requires 53.7GB, while Hitman World of Assassination needs 61GB.
Game-Key Cards offload some of that download, but for the most part, you’ll still be taking the full brunt of that download, and you’ll find yourself running against that 256GB ceiling sooner rather than later. I’ll just buy a memory card, you might say to this. But did you know, my dear reader, that the Switch 2 microSD Express cards are really expensive? As of this writing, a 1TB Lexar microSD Express will run you an extra $200. Even the smallest card (256GB) will set you back around $60. If only the game I purchased with my money were content-complete on the cartridge.
Bought Today, Gone Tomorrow
But perhaps the biggest red flag for me concerns game preservation. Whether you’re a game collector or game consumer, you’re probably aware of the threat that requiring an internet download could pose. In 2023, I wrote about how gamers were beginning to reject the live service bubble. For every successful live service game like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Marvel Rivals, a dozen live service games come and go. When a live service game dies, it’s as if it never existed. Your achievements, playtime, and money spent are gone forever.
First-party releases like Donkey Kong Bananza receive full cartridge releases. (Credit: Nintendo/PCMag)
The same logic applies to Game-Key Cards. It may be decades from now, but when the Switch 2’s eShop goes offline, so does your Game-Key Card. It’s a nightmare for game preservation but also frustrating as a consumer, as games now cost upwards of $70. I don’t know about you, but I’d hate spending money on a game only to lose access to it. I don’t care if that happens in 12 months or 12 years; it puts me off from buying any games at all.
With this in mind, you can imagine how quickly my excitement turned to disappointment when game after game revealed at the Partner Direct turned out to be a Game-Key Card.
Popularity Contest
I’m not the only one upset about the Game-Key Cards. In an interview with Gameindustry.biz, CEO of Nightdive Studios, Stephen Kick, 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.” Former Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry lead Alex Hutchinson held a similar sentiment, telling Videogamer.com, “I think it’s sort of lame. I don’t know, I just feel like it’s getting away… we’re losing some of what made the business special.”
Fan reactions have also been largely negative. They have taken to YouTube and other social media platforms like Twitter/X and Bluesky to voice their displeasure.
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Why does Nintendo insist on hawking Game-Key Cards then? In an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser was asked if physical media would still be a big part of Nintendo’s business, or whether he saw Game-Key Cards as the future.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azura was one of two third-party Switch 2 launch titles to enjoy a full cartridge release. (Credit: Marvelous (XSEED))
“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.”
So Nintendo sees this as a way of getting more publishing partners on the Nintendo Switch 2, which should be a win for gamers who want their Nintendo Switch 2 as their primary console. But consumers have not been so welcoming.
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Voting With Your Wallet
The Switch 2 launch was the fastest-selling console of all time, and as of this writing, it has sold over six million units. Yet initial third-party game sales proved softer than expected, with one publisher telling The Game Business’ Chris Dring the numbers were “below our lowest estimates.”
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is one of the few third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games to get a full cartridge release. (Credit: CD Projekt Red)
At launch, 13 physical games were available (Nintendo releases included). But only five were entirely on cartridge, and only two were from third-party publishers (Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma).
Though you might be tempted to blame soft third-party sales on the fact that most of that launch lineup consisted of ports, if we look at the best-selling games on Nintendo’s platforms in June, we see the top five games for the month are the only five non-Game-Key Card releases—and only two of them were brand new (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild originally came out in 2017, Cyberpunk 2077 arrived in 2020, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released in 2023.)
(Credit: Mat Piscatella/ Circana )
With fans expressing clear preference in how they buy their physical releases, why do Nintendo’s publishing partners continue to double down on Game-Key Cards? This is mostly speculation, but the answer might just come down to cost. In an episode of DF Weekly, Digital Foundry’s John Linneman suggests that developers have only two options when publishing games on the Nintendo Switch 2: the smaller, more affordable Game-Key Card or a larger 64GB card, which costs about $16.
This is far more expensive than the $1–$2 cost of a 100GB Blu-ray disc and the Switch 1’s cartridges. You’re in a tight spot if you’re publishing a game on the Switch 2 that’s well under or over 64GB. Couple that with the rising production costs thanks to the uncertainty around tariffs, and we can start to understand why third-party developers have embraced the Game-Key Card.
Despite this, not every developer has lost sight of the significance of a full release on cartridge. In an interview with Nintendo Life, CDPR’s Technology Vice President, Charles Tremblay, said, “We wanted players purchasing physically to have the best possible experience and be able to play on the go straight away.” While Marvelous USA took to its Twitter/X account to confirm that all of their Nintendo Switch 2 releases, including Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, and Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, will be complete on cartridge. Needless to say, both publishers are likely enjoying positive feedback from fans thanks to their stances.
Nintendo Switch 2: The Switch Just Got Better
Stuck Between a Rock and a Game-Key Card
So what does this mean for the Nintendo Switch 2? For the system itself, probably nothing. The Switch 2 is selling better than anyone imagined, and at least when it comes to Nintendo releases, the full game is on the cartridge. But it remains to be seen if third parties will buck the Game-Key Card trend. For now, I’m left disappointed. I have an extensive collection of Switch 1 titles, and I’m thankful I can still enjoy and even upgrade them on newer hardware. But with every Switch 2 Game-Key Card announcement, I find myself looking toward other platforms to “own” the games I buy, even if that sentiment is becoming rarer as consumers embrace digital libraries.
About Zackery Cuevas
Writer, Hardware
