Nearly all third-party physical Nintendo Switch 2 games announced in Japan so far use Game-Key Cards, and similar trends are emerging in Western markets.
As reported by Gematsu, pre-orders for the Switch 2 in Japan revealed that, aside from CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 and non-Switch 2 Edition titles, all third-party physical releases are Game-Key Cards that 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. pic.twitter.com/dCTUsTmNQZ
— Gematsu (@gematsu) April 24, 2025
What about the West? Sega's Switch 2 titles, such as Sonic X Shadow Generations, are also confirmed to be Game-Key Cards, as seen in Walmart listings.
So far, only four third-party physical Switch 2 games avoid the Game-Key Card format: 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 introduced the Switch 2, it confirmed that some Switch 2 game cards won’t contain the actual game, but instead hold a download key. Nintendo later specified that Switch 2 Edition titles include both the game and any upgrades directly on the cartridge.
Switch 2 Game-Key Cards are physical cards that provide only a download key, with no game data stored on the card itself. Purchasers must download the game after inserting the card. Each Game-Key Card case is clearly marked on the front, giving buyers immediate notice of the product's format.
Games such as Street Fighter 6 and the Bravely Default remaster display this disclaimer, while titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza do not. The data-heavy Cyberpunk 2077, which uses a 64 GB cartridge on Switch 2, comes entirely on a physical game card.
Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes
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According to Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research & Insights at Niko Partners, the reliance on Game-Key Cards could strain the eShop servers at the Switch 2’s June launch as players rush to download their games.
All the Switch 2 bundles come with a download code.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 24, 2025
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.
“Game cards are significantly more expensive than discs (+ increases with each GB),” Ahmad added, explaining publisher incentives.
“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, remarked that Game-Key Cards are “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 began on April 24 and sold out rapidly. In response, Nintendo fans are posting fake Switch 2 auctions on eBay to disrupt scalper listings.
