Nintendo Switch 2 Games in Japan Mostly Game-Key Cards, Similar in West

It has emerged that almost all physical third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games in Japan revealed so far are Game-Key Cards, and it looks like a similar situation in the West. As reported by Gematsu, the launch of Switch 2 pre-orders in Japan revealed all physical third-party games so far, except for CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077 and those labeled as Nintendo Switch 2 Editions, ship on Game-Key Cards and thus require an internet connection to download the full game.

Ys X: Proud Nordics and No Sleep for Kaname Date are also game-key cards in Japan. And retail descriptions for Split Fiction list it as a code-in-a-box. But what is the situation in the West? Here, Sega's Switch 2 games, like Sonic X Shadow Generations listed on Walmart, are confirmed to be Game-Key Cards as well.

In fact, we’ve identified only four third-party physical Switch 2 games that aren't Game-Key Cards: the aforementioned Cyberpunk 2077, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion - Nintendo Switch 2; Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma - Nintendo Switch 2; and No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Aiba Edition.

When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, 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.

Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards are physical cards that only contain a key to download your chosen game. This 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, giving you a clear indication of what you're purchasing.

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 hefty Cyberpunk 2077, weighing in at 64 GB on Nintendo Switch 2, comes fully on the cartridge.

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes

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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.

“All the Switch 2 bundles come with a download code. Mario Kart World is 24GB. Most games come on a game key card and require a download. The Switch 2 launches globally on the same day. I am not a religious man, but I ask you all to pray for the Eshop servers on June 5,” Ahmad stated.

“Game cards are significantly more expensive than discs (+ increases with each GB),” Ahmad added, explaining the reasoning behind publishers' decisions. “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, described Game-Key Cards as “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.

Switch 2 pre-orders kicked off on April 24 and quickly sold out. Now, Nintendo fans are posting fake Switch 2 auctions to flood eBay and drown out scalper listings.