Nintendo's introduction of Game-Key Cards for the Switch 2 has certainly stirred up quite the conversation among gamers and industry experts alike. When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 last month, they revealed that some of the new Switch 2 game cards would not contain the actual game, but instead provide a key for downloading the game. Nintendo later clarified that Switch 2 Edition games would include both the game and any upgrades directly on the cartridge.

The Switch 2 Game-Key Cards are essentially physical cards that hold a key for downloading your selected game. This means that upon inserting the card into your Switch 2, you'll need to download the game data. The packaging for these Game-Key Cards clearly indicates this on the bottom front of the box, ensuring that consumers are aware of what they're buying.

Notable games like Street Fighter 6 and the Bravely Default remaster come with this game-key card notice, while others such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza do not. On the other hand, Cyberpunk 2077, which requires 64 GB on the Nintendo Switch 2, is released on a cartridge.

The reaction to Nintendo's Game-Key Cards has been vocal, with Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick expressing disappointment, stating, "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."

In an interview at the opening of the Nintendo San Francisco store, IGN asked Nintendo of America's president Doug Bowser about the future of physical media and the role of Game-Key Cards. Bowser responded, "In the immediate future, physical games are still a key part of our business. And we value our relationships in particular with our retailers, and want to make sure we have products available for them to sell to their consumers."

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes

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Bowser further elaborated on the purpose behind Game-Key Cards, highlighting Nintendo's goal to expand the Switch 2's game library. "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," he explained. "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."

CD Projekt confirmed they used the largest available Switch 2 cartridge size of 64 GB for Cyberpunk 2077, indicating that this is the maximum capacity for Switch 2 cartridges. Meanwhile, Nintendo has kept the sizes of its first-party games relatively small.

Nintendo Switch 2 game storage sizes:

Mario Kart World: 23.4 GB
Donkey Kong Bananza: 10 GB
Nintendo Classics: GameCube app: 3.5 GB
Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ＋ Jamboree TV: 7.7 GB
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ＋ Star Crossed World: 5.7 GB

The majority of third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games announced so far utilize Game-Key Cards. Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research & Insights at Niko Partners, noted that this could strain the eShop at the Switch 2's launch in June as gamers rush to download their games. "Game cards are significantly more expensive than discs (+ increases with each GB)," Ahmad explained, providing insight into 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." He added, "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."

For more insights, you can check out IGN’s full interview with Doug Bowser about the Nintendo San Francisco store and the Switch 2.