Nintendo adds a new wrinkle to its game-distribution system. Here’s what you get with a game-key card and how to tell what you’re really buying before you check out.
The Nintendo Switch 2 features several exclusive titles I’m excited to play, but how you access these games may differ from previous iterations of the console. The Switch 2 supports regular game cards, where the game files fit on the physical cartridge, but also game-key cards, which don’t actually contain the full game data. It’s confusing, I know, but here’s what you need to know before buying Mario Kart World or Cyberpunk 2077.What Is a Game-Key Card?
As Nintendo explains, game-key cards are «your ‘key’ to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.» They come in a case and include cartridges that slide into the Switch 2, like any other physical release. However, you’ll be shocked to learn that you’ll need an internet connection to download the game’s files before playing.
After that initial download, you won’t need a connection to play, but the card does need to be inserted into the Switch 2. 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. (Nintendo also released a Virtual Game Card system that will make it easier to share digital games going forward, too.)
I’m sure you’re wondering why this even exists, right? Switch 2 cartridges top out at 64GB, but they’re expensive for the publisher to use, so game-key cards will help get games into physical stores for a lot less money, Nintendo tells The Verge.
Many have criticized Nintendo for devaluing physical media, leading the company to poll Japanese players about their feelings on the game-key card. But it’s important to note that the Switch 1 already had a similar concept. Ever purchase a compilation title? There’s one game on the cart and the others need to be downloaded. Plus, PlayStation and Xbox have had code-in-a-box releases for years.How to Tell If You’re Buying a Game-Key Card
Nintendo provides a helpful indicator on the box, but I needed to squint to read it.
