Importance Score: 55 / 100 🔵
As anticipation builds for the Nintendo Switch 2, details are emerging about its launch lineup, including how games will be delivered. While pre-orders for the Switch 2 have begun, some physical games will utilize “Game Key Card” carts. Instead of containing the full game, these require an internet connection for download and play, raising concerns about long-term game preservation and accessibility. This approach has sparked debate among gamers regarding the future of physical media.
Switch 2 “Game Key” Cards Spark Preservation Concerns
Following Nintendo’s official reveal of the Switch 2, crucial information about its games has surfaced. A notable point of contention is that some physical games will ship with a Game Key cart, essentially functioning as DRM. Players must insert this cart into the console to initiate a game download. While the cart is required for gameplay, potentially allowing offline access, losing it renders the game inaccessible.
The Debate: Convenience vs. Preservation
While some argue that this method is preferable to solely providing a digital code, as Game Key Cards can be traded or resold, others criticize it as a form of digital-only distribution that generates more plastic waste. The long-term implications, particularly when servers are eventually shut down, are also a major worry. Users fear that these games may become unplayable, a concern amplified by Nintendo’s past track record with maintaining digital storefronts, hindering access to older Wii U and 3DS titles.
Tracking the Game Key Cards
Gamers are meticulously scrutinizing store listings to identify which games use Game Key Cards. Kotaku has compiled the following list, highlighting that all first-party Nintendo titles, such as the new Donkey Kong game, will be available on fully physical cartridges.
Conversely, a number of third-party publishers are adopting the Game Key Card format. The status of some games remains undetermined. The list below will be updated as new games are announced and further details become available before the Switch 2’s launch.
Confirmed “Game Key” Cart Titles
- Raidou: Remastered
- Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
- Sonic X Shadow Generations
- Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
- Street Fighter 6 Year 1-2 Fighters Edition
- Hitman World of Assassination
- Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion (Japan only)
Confirmed Fully Physical Cart Titles
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion (US only)
- Story of Seasons Grand Bazaar
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Zelda Breath of the Wild
- Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
- Super Mario Party Jamboree
- Mario Kart World
Titles With Unknown Cart Status
- No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Aiba Edition
- Split Fiction
- Star Wars Outlaws