Many Switch 2 Titles Confirmed to be Game Key Card Only Releases
Since the Switch 2’s official reveal, there’s been a lot of confusion that Nintendo has been forced to clear up. This includes game-specific pricing, the cost of upgrading original Switch games and how Nintendo Online will work on the new console. Among these points, an additional question has popped up. This one relates to the new ‘game key card’ option being offered by many third-party releases.
These game key cards are physical cartridges in boxes that are much like other physical releases on the Switch (with a row of text confirming that the data is not actually on the cartridge). However, when you insert a game key card into the console, you will be prompted to download its data from the internet. You will also need to be connected to the internet the first time you load up the game. However, none of the information for the title is actually included on the cartridge. It is simply a ‘key’ to unlock that data for you when its inserted.
Now, a game key card on paper may initially seem identical to a digital game copy but there are a couple of caveats. Digital copies are specific to individual Nintendo accounts- meaning you can’t share or resell them through conventional means. Since the data for the game’s ownership is stored in the cartridge, you can resell them. The card must also always remain within the cartridge slot while you’re playing- offsetting the ability to share or resell the game. Its essentially another option that will allow certain publishers to release their games on the Switch 2 should the cards not be able to contain all of the required data for them to run.
On the plus side, hopefully this causes a move away from cloud Switch games which don’t even contain a cartridge physically and are simply ‘codes in a box’. While these card keys have been compared to that, there’s a little more freedom when it comes to game sharing and reselling. Unfortunately, what makes this more confusing is that it is specific to certain games while others will contain the full data on the cartridge. For example, CD Projekt Red have confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will contain the data on the card while the Bravely Default remaster and Yakuza 0 (notably smaller games in terms of data) will not.
If you’re interested in picking up a release on the Switch 2 then (especially if it’s a third party offering), it might be a good idea to make sure you’re getting all of the data on the cartridge prior to purchase if that’s important to you. Hopefully, clearer communication on game key cards surfaces ahead of the console’s launch in June.
