"We MUST Resist Buying These Game-Key Releases", Says GamesMaster Host

Wow... that's a lot more games than I thought. Every big 3rd party release will probably be like this, with the exception of the occasional company throwing us a bone, like CD Projekt Red for Cyberpunk. It's a sad reality.

I feel that Game-Key cards are misunderstood somewhat as you DO own the game on the card and can resell it (contrary to a digital download). It's just that it downloads the game once you insert the card, thus offering publishers a cheap option to sell a 32/64 GB game AND still be present on store shelves.

Game key?
HELL NO...!
I only support physical cartridge with game data inside, not the scam game key product.
I hate the convenience of modern stuffs if have to sacrifice something important like that.

Yeah, I'm good...

Besides, many of these, even the good ones (Elden Ring) are already in the bargain bin for PS4 and even PS5.

The only downside obviously being that you have to download crap for hours before actually being able to enjoy the games.

I finally gave my gifted PS4 and FF7R a try the other day. First I was annoyed at the incredibly long time it takes to start up the machine, then I was annoyed at the "Achievements" I "achieved" by simply turning on the machine (seriously), only to be greeted by a 53 minute download session before actually being able to play the game.

Call me a Nintendo Fanboy, I like my games plug and play.

I am not super anti though. Most games have a day 1 patch already, patches galore in the future and DLC and whatnot, so it really isn't that different.

They're a thing that's been happening for years that people are acting like is a new phenomenon because they put a new label on it and it's baffling to me. If anything this is better than what they did on the Switch with the download codes because at least they're not tied to your profile.

It feels like a crutch for developers who can’t compress data to save their life. If CD PROJEKT Red can fit the entirety of Cyberpunk 2077 on a cart there’s no reason SE can’t with Bravely Default.

I've got you, bro!

Signed, a digital buyer👀😏

Sweet no need to ever by a cart for these games, and just wait for a steep discount that will inevitable come along.

Physcial hasn't meant all data on the cart/disc for ages now. So many games have patches and updates long after release, even Nintendo ones.

These at least give you a way to sell, trade, lend and borrow digital downloads.

@Lizuka Exactly! Good to hear someone being reasonable and level-headed about this.

I have mixed feelings, I don't think they are the worst idea. If they just installed the game on your device, turning them into a pure digital download that'd be bad. However, I think we should think of them more like a steam game, a moveable product ID that can be sold and traded. I think everyone that has a problem with them, should also have a problem with Steam. I wish all the data was on it, but it is better than just pure digital.

I am a physical collector, so I absolutely won't be getting "game key" versions if I can help it. Any time I see one, I'll definitely be heading on over to Play-Asia to see if there'll be a proper version too.
Square Enix has been releasing their "digital only" games on physical carts in Asian territories. I have almost every SaGa game on switch physically thanks to Play-Asia. As well as the version of FFX/X-2 that actually comes with X-2 on the cart.

So if there is a version of Bravely Default available on Play-Asia that's actually a proper physical version, I'll go for that one. Otherwise.... Nah. If I'm gonna have to waste my SD card space, might as well just use the eShop.

It's a marked improvement over code in a box but I guess people want to stay with the lousy situation they were used to. The world is never going back to the physical days of old, and it's kind of a miracle Nintendo was able to make carts happen again even if a lot of them will be incomplete without the ever present day 1 patches. This is at least a halfway point between one time use codes in a retail box and the self contained cart.

@NielsNL No they are not misunderstood. If nintendo shuts off service for these cards in the next 50 year, and you know they will, you lose all ownership and (re)sale.

What is meaningful data anyway, just like what is money? You used to hold physical coins and notes, but nowadays its just digits on a screen. Since Playstation 4 (maybe earlier), all the game data has been copied over to your HD and the disc acts as a key. That is great when the digital version of, say Ratchet and Clank is still £70 but you can pick up a used disc for a tenner.
Only gripe is the 256gb would fill up very quickly with full download data but its certainly not an 'issue' that the card gets you the full game AND you can sell it unlike a digital shop purchase. The Switch really should have come with 512gb and same size cards readily available. Many Steam deck owners are used to having 2TB or more storage.

I'll buy them as long as they're reasonably priced.

Sorry but in an age digitalized like this; game-key card concept is a good implementation. Actually except a few games i only bought digital versions of Nintendo Switch games.

Yup, others and myself have alrady said we won't be buying any Key-Carts. We don't buy any download required nonsense in general. So basically a lot of stuff goes from day 1 buy to wait for digital sale for me.

It is useful to buy the game-key cards only if I want to resell the game, otherwise I will take the digital version directly. It will be interesting to see if these cards contain part of the game. That is, if for example the all-digital game is 80GB and the card contains 64GB with a download of only 16GB then they could be useful to save space on the console.

We? There's no "we".
Also there's no MUST, if people want to buy they will buy, simple as that.

People should stop trying to dictate what others do with their money.

I think this is still a huge step up from cases with codes

I honestly don't see what the problem is with game key cards. Yes they don't contain the whole data, prompting you do download it after you insert it. But you the downloaded data will stay in the key card rather than your Nintendo Account and it can be resold or lended to someone else. It's like recording a movie or show on a blank VHS tape, and while i prefer game cards with the full data in, I don't know what's the fuss about with the key cards.

@AlleyCat don't forget cost. Digital from the shop will always be expensive, the game key could be sold cheaply. I gave an example above of Ratchet and Clank...even after 5 years its £70 from PSN, I have seen the disc for a tenner and you copy the exact same data to your console regardless.
Question is, how long before someone works out a way to keep that downloaded data on your Switch without needing the cartridge in the slot??

Giving us only the bare minimum to keep going must stop.

@Kiivi me too, but only because they get heavily discounted and do not possess enough artistic value for me to care enough its preservation

@Bigmanfan I do not think it is cringe. It's about deciding what is good for us. Imagine going to a restaurant which serves you barely edible food knowing that most people will still buy it. Will you be satisfied with such service?

Eh. These companies would have gone the code-in-a-box route otherwise. It's a straight-up improvement on that.

That said, absolutely reward publishers who are putting the entire game on the cartridge if you care about this issue. CDPR shelled out a decent amount to secure those 64GB Cyberpunk 2077 physicals.

@TrueBlueYoshi What are you talking about? Nothing gets downloaded to the key card. And if you prefer actual game cards and don't see the issue, then I don't know what else to say.

Old heads mad.

Doesn't really bother me, especially given the size of updates and patches that have to be downloaded over time - admittedly more relevant on PS5, etc

Realistically with game sizes only getting bigger, day 1 downloads, are we not having to head this way anyway?

I don't like it but I don't think we can stop what is inevitable.

Be careful what we wish for. Bigger physical media means even more costs on us.

I'm willing to bet most people complaining about the key-cards would not have said a word if all of them were digital only eshop games.

How come NintendoLife never shared stories about people who love the way the industry is going? Digital games are way better on the environment (for many, many reasons) and are much more versatile gen to gen. They’re also so much more convenient to switch between. For all the hundreds of pro-physical game posts we see, could we at least see one representing the other side of the argument?

Not really all that interested in cyber punk, but with that fact that they're doing it right, I may just show the support and buy that as my 3rd party game.

Everything seems to be bigger deal when it’s Nintendo though, doesn’t it?

@LoroTalby excellent point

Well I'm a digital only gamer these days but bottom line is these are actually an improvement on digital codes as they can be resold.

Switch carts are more expensive than the blurays for Xbox or PS5 and if you want to see third party games on Switch then this is probably the best compromise.

You will still get good guys like CD Projekt Red doing their bit but this was inevitable especially for the likes of Square and Activision when they come on board.

At least the game keys retain some value.

Not idea but sign of the times.

No thank you, as he says full game or download code with no box.
This is causing even more plastic for no reason

Sorry, I'm confused. Are Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza being released physically as only game-key cards?

It is funny to me that there's all this talk about "resisting" these when the practice of physical games needing a download to be played has been alive and well for some time.

Everyone's talking about Game-keys and no ones talking about AC Shadows needing an online check for the physical copy to work and apparently forgot Hogwarts basically only have a demo on the disc.

these game key cards are definitely partial anti consumer as the publisher loves the idea of shifting the COST of storage to the gamer!!! the fact that you can resell it is better than a pure digital purchase which you can never resell which is total b.s. imho! does anyone remember the good old days where you bought the game at the store and NEVER had to do a day 1 update or DLC etc..

Even Nobunaga's Ambition that has a full physical release of the Switch 1 version? Congratulations! This shows a lot. Expect at least 60%-70% of games to be releaed as a game-key card then. Also I agree with him 100%, I keep saying this over and over again.

@RetroBox Nintendo games are proper carts. No worries with those.

@Bunkerneath

So you are OK for them to still release the plastic box with just a bit of paper inside?

That's the definition of plastic for no reason. Just buy it digitally then.

I like it. It works for me. I buy a lot of first party games physically and third party games digitally and now I can buy these, play these and share these or sell these.
I’ve gamed a long time. Have all the games I want preserved. By the next iteration of games I don’t care about servers closing or losing games.
I want to play with my grand kids and not lose my 1UP life

I'm definitely a physical collector, always have been, will always get physical games (and other media) whenever they're available. That said, like...I don't get what the big deal is? I mean, yeah, given the choice I would absolutely prefer to have the data on the actual cart, but like...is this really that big a deal?

@LoroTalby "For all the hundreds of pro-physical game posts we see, could we at least see one representing the other side of the argument?"

There's no argument, what's wrong with digital games? Are they unavailable? We're talking about stupid game-key cards instead of a full physical release. That's the problem. If you're good with digital games that's fine. On the other fence, people want full games on physical. So I don't understand what you're writing about.

• in general, both have their advantages and disadvantages. It's all about full game on carts, that's why it's so loud about it.

What bugs me most is that you NEED the key card IN THE CARD SLOT to play the DIGITAL game. That was the deal breaker for me to just go digital for these "game key-card" releases. It just makes both digital and physical games worse.

Personally, it might be Nintendo's way of conditioning us for an inevitable all-digital future. Not a future I look forward to.

@Smug43 I don't get all these anti consumer comments.

Gaming is non essential. I would support the comments if we were talking essentials like food, prescriptions etc.

It's our choice to be involved in this industry and we can ultimately choose not to.

Gaming companies owe us nothing.

Yeah, I just buy games or "access" to games if you prefer, wherever they are the cheapest. Game-Key Cards are essentially a way to buy, sell and trade what would otherwise be digital only games and that's all I really care about with physical media. This also still gives retailers the chance to run sales when the eShop isn't.

If Game-Key Cards fail, they simply will just be digital only releases anyway. They will not back pedal and release physical games, so the boycott will do more harm than good if you ask me.

My primary issue with digital downloads was already resolved by Nintendo's Virtual Game Cards though too. Now my wife and I can exchange games between both our systems and accounts without worrying about who has the primary Switch console so yeah, all of this has no negative impact on me personally.

Jeez, when did Duskbloods get announced as a Game Key Card release? We barely know anything else about the game as is.

I would much prefer to have all these games on cart but if Switch 2 carts are more expensive, I don't know what the better solution is atm.

Game-key release should be only for small indies that doesn't have money to buy normal nintendo carts or live service always updated games like fortnite, pubg, or sf6 rather than, say, bravely default hd remake, a single player game with squareenix as a publishers 😕

@LoroTalby
I'm against and hate the convenience of digital only gaming.
I want the actual physical games with game data inside.

I think for a lot of games with the v1.0 that come on the physical cart, the cart becomes meaningless as a download is needed to actually play the current version. Give it a few years. Actual games on cartridges will come back into fashion.

@Zealv2 uhh... aren't game key cards don't have the software, prompting you do following the instructions do download the rest of the data to the card, as I read on the North American Nintendo Support page?

"Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your "key" to downloading the full game to your system via the internet."

For me it would be a case-by-case decision for big publishers, indies will get a pass if it means getting direct retail presence without LRG and the like.

EDIT: The one thing I hope I can continue doing on Switch 2 is to get cheap/free DLC to access updates and be ready by the time I get a game (fully) physically.

Yeah I never buying one of these. My days as a gamer might be coming to an end, at least for new games, if physical goes away. I don't consent to the full all-digital future.

I probably won't bother with these. My preference is:

1. Full physical games
2. Digital games from the eShop
3. Game key cards
4. Code in a box

@Anti-Matter putting text in bold is considered shouting. It does nothing for the point you are making in terms of value.

Are you ok with paying for higher storage media?

@HammerGalladeBro 100%.

Sorry to say but Nintendo can F*** OFF with these key cards. I won't be buying a single one (I currently have over 100 Switch games in physical format). If I didn't have many great memories since the SNES days I would probably be boycotting Nintendo this generation, but key cards are an absolute NO.

@TrueBlueYoshi The key cards don't store anything apart from a key that allows you to download it to your system. And you still need it plugged in to play.

This is just a taste of the future that we are heading in People will own nothing but will have to pay for everything still. So the corporations will have all the power to themselves. The problem isn't digital itself, I think logically it makes sense. Zero waste, lots of discounts, easier for developers and costs reduced. The problem is money and our socio-economic systems

@Jireland92 Yeah it's whack. Bravely Default HD Remaster is a 11GB download apparently so they couldn't just use a 16GB cart or just squish it down to 8GB?

@Zealv2 yeah so? It's just like a actual game card. So I don't understand what are you getting fussy about.🤷‍♂️

@Zealv2 and you have trouble being respectful, even to those you don't agree with.

They seem like you own them but in 10 years they will not work and will be just trash with no value. It is just a long term rental.

@Jireland92 For Bravely Default it isn't about compression and more that there isn't an option for a smaller card for it.

Let me throw up this from a old Medium article on "the Switch Tax"

The most recent glaring example of this is Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.

The game is $29.99 on all digital platforms, and the physical disc versions on Xbox and PS4 are also $29.99.

But the Switch Game Card is $39.99.

Gee that's familiar.

I won't be surprised that the "small" games on this list are just avoiding a Switch Tax 2.0, and when the manufacturing costs of the new cards come down, we won't see as many "small" games using it.

Yeah, I dunno. I mean, I prefer physical, but at least with these they can be used with otehr systems. It's better than pure digital (or the dreaded code-in-box) in that way. I do sometimes worry about digital based games no longer being available to re-download, so I get that aspect, but with all the patches and stuff for physical games anyway, that's also an issue.

I don't sell games, and Nintendo has already provided a solution for lending digital games, which they showed off in March Direct. So yeah, this is just purely bad news for me. They've simply pushed the monetary (data storage) and time costs off to the consumer so that they could save a few bucks on the cartridge. And let's not forget: the Switch 2 only allows MicroSD EXPRESS cards, which are more expensive and have a smaller capacity. I haven't seen one with more than 256 GB of space.

It's extremely disheartening to see so many third-party games jumping on this bandwagon so quickly. I won't be picking up any Game Key cards, and I hope they fall out of style ASAP.

I'm really tired of online/tv personalities telling me what I should do with my money. I like the idea for games that are obviously too big for a cartridge, but I have to question companies like Square Enix for not putting something of smaller size like Bravely Default onto a cart.

Maybe I am in the minority, or old and just not as passionate as younger gamers, but the game key card is fine for me. I would definitely prefer to have the full and ready-to-play game on the card, but this option is better in cases where I may want to let my son play the game on his system, which I can’t with a download.

Why are people in such an uproar about this?! The games industry like many other similar industries, is going digital only. We can’t stop it, it’s happening so we have to face up to this. Sony and MS would go digital only if they could. At least these key cards still allow people to buy a physical product they can sell/trade etc. I think it’s a very clever solution Nintendo have come up with. I’m afraid in 10 years time there won’t even be these available so everyone needs to accept the fact it’s a digital only future if you want to be a gamer.

@ryan_nil "That's the world we live in now" is exactly the wrong attitude. If everybody rolls over like you are, then it will be the world we live in. But it's not like it's some cosmic inevitability.

@Ogbert having A version of the game on the cart is WAY better than nothing on the cart. In fact for certain audiences like speedrunners, physical copies can actually help perserve older versions of games. Patches I'm accepting of because of the bigger nature of a lot of games. Plus I'm not gonna complain about smaller bug fixes that in the olden days would've either remained unfixed or just been fixed in a later reprint of the game (which still happens btw! Nintendo especially will include software updates on the cart in later prints!!!).

I don't like the idea of buying game key cards but the way I see it is it isn't money lost like digital codes.

If publishers make their games $69-$79 the game sure as hell better been fully on a game card.

If publishers make their games $29-$59 I can understand they are trying to give us a discount and cheaping out putting the game on a game key card that I can resell.

@8bit4Life Actually you can lend out digital games starting late this month, with the Virtual Game Card functionality Nintendo described in the March Direct.

Don't Xbox and PlayStation games have to be fully installed from the disc anyway? That's my understanding, and if so, this is no different in practice. Not that I'd buy a key cart because the primary reason I buy the odd physical game is to avoid eating up storage space. Although I'm mostly digital with the current Switch, I do plan on changing to mostly physical with the Switch 2 because those microSD express cards are just a tad bit pricey.

@MasterGraveheart But I get why they've done this. It's so that you can't load the game to one unit, then pass the Key to another person to load on their unit, then you both have working copies of the game. Originally I had assumed these were like code-in-box, purly digital games, but the fact they are not tied to a unit or account required them to be present to play. This isn't to say that I love the idea, but it's actually better than just purely digital from that standpoint.

@TechaNinja allegedly there are only 32/64GB cards. Likely due to Switch 2 cards using the same type of tech as Micro SD Express for the high speeds. You cannot get Express cards for that size because it's not practical, you wouldn't get any savings on the cost.

So I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, vote with your dollar. I see their point. On the other hand, the digital-only future is inevitable. Collectors like me are pushing to hold it off as long as possible, but there will inevitably come a day in the next ten to twenty years when all video games are released exclusively as digital downloads. It's inevitable. To that end, let's say you boycott these key cards. More power to you, that's your prerogative. But what's the alternative? Never playing these or buying them digitally. For the games I really want to play, I'm not just gonna not buy them. And the collector in me says "If I'm going to pay for the game as it is, I might as well have something to put on my shelf." There are a fair number of Switch games that don't have the entire game on the cartridge and require a download, and this is effectively no different; if you can't play the game with just the cartridge, it doesn't really matter if the cartridge has 3/4 of the game or none of the game on it. You still can't play it. This at least lets me trade, give away, or sell as used the games since the cards aren't going to tie to a specific account.

tl;dr the outrage over this is ridiculous, and the belief that boycotting or resisting it will change literally anything is naive.

@ryan_nil It will not just like the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS stores. People with local copies or 'online backups' will be the only way they are available/archived those stores.

The good side to this conversation is Switch was the start of a new service, Nintendo Account, and Store so you would think just like 'Xbox One and onward' or 'PS4 and onward' type support. I.e. very long-term multiple decades at minimum something more like Steam.

Say no to digital, kids.

@Lizuka Its happening to Switch 2 games that are fully on the cart for the original Switch lmao (No Sleep For Kaname Date). At least most Switch games that did it were SOMEWHAT understandable with bigger file sizes (or earlier on some dual pack games since they didn't have the option for two files on the cart). But when a game like Survival Kids does it that is 4 gb even in Japan where that stuff is less common, I seriously raise an eyebrow.

If you don't want a Game-Key release don't buy it. How hard is that?

@LastFootnote 1TB so far:

https://www.amazon.com/Lexar-microSD-Compatible-Nintendo-LMSXPS0001T-BNNNU/dp/B0DYB9TNB4?th=1

People won’t resist, put Mario on a turd and people will still cram it into their system

@Samalik The odds of anyone wanting to play one of these games in 50 years is about zero. If any of these games turns out to be a classic for the ages then it will be re-released a dozen times in countless formats over those same 50 years.

Digital is the way of the future in all types of media, not just games. Either get on board of be left behind.

@TrueBlueYoshi
Well, it is not really like a game card. It is just a dongle. So it tells your Switch, that you are allowed to download and play the game.
The card has no storage itself, so you maybe still need some additional SD card in your Switch to fit the game onto.
And to play you need to download the whole game (like if you bought it fully digital), not just an update, so bad luck if you have no or a slow internet connection in that situation.
Oh, imagine if you lost your key card, but still see the 20 Gig game in your console you cannot play anymore… But of course losing game cards is always a bad idea…

I think, the key cards are way better than the key-in-a-box, but they should not replace real game cards

@ryan_nil I'm of an age with you, for what it's worth. And no, I won't be buying any Game Key cards. Don't see why I wouldn't buy a Switch 2 though.

And let me state the obvious: if these Game Key Card releases don't sell well, they'll stop happening. Personally if there are any such games that I want to buy, I'll wait for a steep discount and buy them digitally instead.

@NielsNL Yes and no. If the "link" between the key and server is broken, the game is not yours anymore.

@HammerKirby I didn't say anything to the contrary. I said these are better than digital downloads and that it's incredibly rare to have the FULL game on the cart these days anyway, as you'll always have patches and updates at least.

There is no argument that the full game on the cart is best. But the fact is it's just not an option for a lot of devs and publishers due to cost, most of which comes from storage on the cart. This will reduce that and mean some games that are still essentially a digital download, can at least now be traded, sold etc via the physical key.

@splinters Yes it's true, I could find the game-key card in some store at a lower price. But in practice I would have a digital version but to play I would have to insert the card every time, it depends on the savings for sure. For the question you ask I think you have to hack the console and it would be piracy

@ZeldaCupcake Worry about that in 50 years. I’m guessing at that time you’ll be playing whatever is the latest game on your Switch 7 and not trying to figure out how to play a game from 2025.

I'm not going to believe that these keys result in digital games that can be freely traded or sold, by the end user, with no restrictions, until Nintendo themselves unequivocally state this. At this point, stating that this is how they function is just as much misinformation as anything else out there.

I wasn't happy about the cart needing to be inserted at all times to play but then I thought about it some more, and more info came out, so now I'm OK with it. It's another option.

One thing I do not like however is them sharing the same box, that's going to be confusing to some consumers. Probably parents. Just as codes are usually just on a card, though I know sometimes they are in boxes, I think these half games should be in half sized boxes. Half height, about the size of the 3DS boxes, not half width, that would look ridiculous.😂

Nintendo should allow any consumer who mistakenly buys an empty cart to return it for a full refund w/in a certain time frame.

Anyone know how these work? Does the game start downloading automatically or do you have to go into the Shop and find it? I'd assume automatic, well maybe ask first, but nothing besides ok on a popup screen.

@vanYth good point there.

@Lizuka Honestly hearing it explained like that has it make a lot more sense. Being able to borrow and sell the game is neat and hopefully servers shutting down won’t affect being able to download the games (if Nintendo is even thinking that far ahead though).

Still personally getting the digital versions so I don’t need to insert a card every time to play though.

@NielsNL I understand what you are saying here. I think a big reason collector's are upset is because people like to know that they can continue playing the game even if the publisher pulls the game from the digital store, or servers shut down. With the Game Key card, that's not the case.

I'm sort of in the middle ground. I think it makes sense, because some games are becoming SOOOO huge that they feasibly won't fit on a cartridge. However, what makes me annoyed is when a publisher is still resorting to using the game key card for a game that is very small in size. For example, the Bravely Default game.

If I had the choice to buy digital where its connected to my Nintendo Account, or a game-key card... I would opt for the game-key card, because there are times when I sell games. Either, it wasn't as enjoyable as I once thought, or I just know I won't return to it.

The key card thing has been a thing since the PS4/Xbox One era where discs have to DOWNLOAD the games to your console and not the discs having the game itself. It’s a stinker but this ain’t news aside from it being Nintendo’s first time with this format

@Ogbert Imagine this happening in any other medium. Buying a blu ray and its just a download or a book and it just a drm locked pdf. This situation is so ridiculous imo.

I don't know who Robert Florence is, nor what GamesMaster is, and I don't care. I'll buy what I want and spend my money how I like, thanks.

I just don’t see the problem with this. It’s 2025, internet is ubiquitous at this point. It’s not tied to an account, so you can easily resell the key card. You don’t need internet once it’s installed. “But game preservation!” As if the Switch 2 won’t be hacked and dumped in the first year. Lots of complaining about nothing.

Only issue is in years to come when servers are shut down you wont be able to download the game. For the foreseeable tho i dont have too much issue with this on games that NEED to use this method.

I will try my best to avoid games that have this, regardless of size. For smaller games, they have no excuse not to put it on a cart. Got bigger games, well, their size would be more of a reason why you would want it on a cart, to save storage space on your system.

I'll only buy such a game key cart if I really really want the game, and even then I'll probably just buy digital because at least then I won't need to swap out the cart. The benefits of the game key cards won't apply to me because I rarely borrow my games and even more rarely sell them.

If the game is not on the cartridge, how can I upload the game to my "powerful OLED switch?"

Well, that would be basically no PS or Xbox game should be bought. 🫤

Key card games won’t be for everyone…and I get the drawbacks. But it also means you can sell/trade/borrow digital media, which is great! At least until the servers eventually get turned off

My only real problem with this thing is that you NEED internet. The vast majority of PS and I think Xbox discs (I'm not sure about theirs) do not need internet to download a game off a disc. If my internet someday goes down which has happened, I know I can still pop in my discs and play them. You seemingly can't do that with these cartridges

@Grimley141 Doesn't mean that i have to accept digital. the best solution for me is to quite gaming all together. that's it. I'll stick to movies if I can.

@HammerKirby irrelevant and incomparable.

It already IS happening in games and has been for some time now. There are many games on Xbox and PS5 that are not the full game on the disc, just a small portion and the rest is downloaded. You still need the disc to run the game after it's downloaded though. It's the same thing, this is just a name for it and Nintendo being upfront about it.

It's an option. You can still just do the digital download that gives you no resale options, or you can buy a key card and have those options. The games that use this are not the games that were going to get a "full game" on cart release anyway. Not that you can even get that anyway, again because of updates and patches. Even Nintendo games have this as standard now. You think Splatoon 3 on your cart is the full game? Animal Crossing? Smash Bros? Even Zelda isn't.

@Orpheus79V Oof. That's unfortunate.

So some 3rd party games will just use keycards while stuff like 1st party games Nintendo are just shelling out for 32GB even for the smaller ones like DK Bonanza?

I think this is an evolution of digital games in that it's tied to a physical cart and the best part is that you can trade it in. I understand why people want the full game on a cart and the fear that this might lead to an industry-wide approach. However, it is yet to be seen if original switch 2 titles will follow this format.

"but you'll also be able to lend it out or even sell it if needed; something you certainly couldn't do with code-in-a-box releases."

Something you can already do with proper, physical games. But now you have to make sapce on your console's memory to store the game, so publishers can save some more money. There is literally not a single benefit of these key cards. They exist SOLELY to pass costs on to the consumer. And frankly, enough is enough. Anyone who can't see that they're being taken advantage of by greedy scumbags needs help.

Here's an AI summary of all your comments
Top 3 Reasons People Don't Like Game Key Cards:
1. Not truly physical – No full game on the card, just a download key.
2. Preservation fears – Games may be unplayable if servers go offline.
3. Feels like a downgrade – Seen as a half-step between digital and true physical; some feel it's a cash grab.

Top 3 Reasons People Do Like Game Key Cards:
1. Resell/trade value – Unlike digital, key cards can be lent, sold, or shared.
2. Better than code-in-box – Seen as an improvement over pure digital codes.
3. Storage/manufacturing compromise – Helps publishers release large games affordably in a physical-ish format.

My fear is if everyone does this, it's pushing all the data storage to us = need to spend more money on memory cards. It'd be nice to at least not have to have the cartridge in after the initial download and install.

@Ogbert "The games that use this are not the games that were going to get a "full game" on cart release anyway."

Poor Square Enix, Konami, and Capcom. This being the only way they can afford to put their games on cartridges must suck for them. Tiny indies that they are.

Look, I get that it helps indies put games on cartridges, but big publishers will take advantage of this too, and it's ridiculous.

Yeah, I will stick with full games on the cartridge. This way, even if I move to a russian village in Siberia, I can still play it, without worrying about the internet speed. Of course, this is not the only reason for me.

Digital is king anyway. The convenience is unmatched.

@Ogbert I know its been an issue for the record. But from what we've seen it's WAY more third party games on Switch 2 than what we've seen on Switch and PS5. And just because it's been an issue, doesn't mean I don't hate it. I try to avoid buying physical games like this all together.

@Judal27 Yeah, but while you can install a PS5 game off the disc, it still needs to download all of the patches and updates - usually from day-one these days. They just really aren't including the full game data on the media anymore.

Am I the only one who thinks that game card key is actually a good idea?
(Better at least that the code-in-a-box)
🤔🤔🤔🤔

Physical are pointless if you if there is no physical game.

You can buy empty Switch boxes online for cheap and photo print the covers anyway.
I did so in the past for a few digital games.

@RainbowGazelle Obviously they can afford it, but lets be real a lot of big third parties don't have a good track record selling games on Nintendo for one reason or another. Outside of indies, Nintendo systems are notoriously for Nintendo games. But Nintendo obviously wants them on the system, so lowering a cost barrier for them but allowing them to have cheap carts will encourage that.

Obviously they can afford to put out the full sized cart, but why would they for an unproven audience? That's a bad business decision.

Key cards are better than a code in a box yes, and so is cow dung compared to dog...

@Princess_Lilly That is a completely false equivalency and you know it.

That isn't true as there are a number of physical releases that spawn multiple software launchers upon insertion. Ubisoft was okay in that respect (except when they re-release older games as code-in-a-box releases). I never understood why Capcom half-arsed their Mega Man collections when they could have fit multiple parts on a relatively small cartridge instead of the one part physical, second part physical route that they had taken.

There was a limited 5-in1 boxset which is the only way to grab Legacy Collection 2 on a cartridge, but surely that would have been far more expensive to manufacture than having it all on a single higher capacity cartridge.

The Atelier Mysterious Trilogy cartridge spawns six icons on the home screen, which is the most I've seen, though there was another release, which escapes me, that might have had even more than that.

@Samalik you don’t lose ownership! You own the right to play the game that you have downloaded onto 1 or possibly more of your devices. You just can’t resell the cart if the download function ever stops.

@rjejr Nothing confirmed yet, but I'm gonna assume it will be like in Switch 1 when you insert a cartridge for the first time and downloads an update (if any are available), without entering the eShop.

@HammerKirby I think in part it’s just Nintendo pulling back the curtain and being transparent how many games are physical but not containing the whole game and require a download, but in doing so offers a cheaper option to manufacturers that is more desirable than a code in a box(I’m hoping this isn’t an option at all).
I’m a physical collector too so can’t say it’s my preferred approach but we have to be pragmatic unfortunately.

These Game Key cartridges makes sense if game is constantly getting updated like Fortnite or MMO RPGs etc. I would buy a cheaper (50€) Splatoon 4, Mario Kart World, etc on a a game key cards as I know these games will be getting balancing updates, DLCs, and new features. They won't be the same later on compared to their release state.

I have many problems with an all digital future. These game key card releases are the worst combination for me… but I guess for some they might have some value since they can be resold.
At this point it seems like Nintendo is about a generation behind Sony, where with Sony my game purchases dropped way off with the PS4 because it was not practical to buy everything physically, since you still had to install it forcing me to spend an extra chunk of money on a big external hard drive. Now with the switch 2, it seems like the situation will repeat, with a massive SD card being necessary to deal with all the 60gb 3rd party games you have to download… it’s another wrinkle in the economics of gaming that just starts to make things too expensive to bother with.

With Game-Key, digital costing less than physical, Game Share and the ability to lend your digital games to members of your family group, Nintendo are making consumer friendly moves on Switch 2 that they should be getting praised for. Instead they're being ripped for their greed.

This practice may cost Nintendo dearly in the long term as there's now less incentive to invest in an expensive new Switch 2, with its expensive proprietary accessories and storage options, when one could buy a handheld PC where one can play the definitive versions of games, many that can be bought without DRM, allowing the customer to backup their games at their discretion (on hard drive, physical discs etc.).

Nintendo should have done their utmost to stamp out this practice instead of indulging the contemptible anti-consumer whims of cheapskate third party publishers.

I mean, Bravely Default being a game key release? How utterly, utterly pathetic.

Tbh, it sounds like the CDs that PS and Xbox already have. So this ain’t exactly new.

It is better than a code in the box though since you can resell it or lend it out.

But ofc there are disadvantages along with main advantages

Here's my plan for "Key-Card" games for Switch 2, get a 1tb exSD and use that to store the "Key-Card" games and have a primary 1tb exSD for all my other game updates/DLC and when I want to play the "Key-Card" game just power-off and swap the exSD for the "Key-Card" exSD and start playing that again. If people are so hung up on Game preservation or eShop burning to the ground putting "Key-Card" game onto it's own exSD storage is basically Long-Term storage of the game and preservation of the game. You can copy the game data to computer and copy it back to another exSD card and use it again. It's most like the same as I did it for my microSD game when upgrading my MicroSD card to larger storage. I format to new Switch and copy the game data folder from my computer to the new microSD card and insert and play where I left off in the game on the new Switch. Alot of people are making that alot harder then it really is.

Resistance is futile.

digital key card can be resold, that's better than full digital,
but Nintendo officially making and advertising digital key card will encourage more company releasing key card games instead of true physical game, that's the problem and that's a big NO NO.
Looking at you Square Enix.

@BrianJL with the exception of live service games such as MH Wilds or maybe stuff from companies like ubisoft that's just purely bloated, most games are entirely on the disc and the patches are small bug fixes. One of the biggest games rn on ps5 would be FF7 Rebirth and I could install it rn from discs with no internet and the only patch id miss is a small resolution bump for performance mode. Or Elden Ring, I'd miss a bunch of nerfs and buffs to different weapons but the game is completely playable thru the base disc with no patches

@electrolite77 yea but that initial download needs internet as far as I can tell

@electrolite77 @OorWullie I agree with you both here! Obviously I’d rather the full game on cart but this isn’t such a bad idea. More transparent than an incomplete game on cart and plus get to share the game around with family and mates.

I really don't see the problem. Xbox and Playstation both do this. When you buy a physical game, it has to be installed on the console first in order to play it and even after the game is installed the disc has to be inserted for you to even play the game.

Not supporting any key card games

Ok? So stop buying Xbox and PlayStation games physically too? Many of those games aren't on the disc and it's luck of the draw if you know what is and isn't. At least with the game key card you know that those aren't on the cart. I see this as transparency.

The only way I will part with physical is if they use NFT tech at the Government level for ownership. Then at a later date sell that copy to someone who wants it. The Digital Card is not something I want to go about if support for it drops and I am not risking it in the long term.

@Batfan2425 - Yes, but the data for the game is still on the disc. I own quite a few XBox One games that have this. The game key card does not contain data, but a key to download. So the data is not local like the Xbox One discs have. And to be honest, I am Okay as long as the data is stored on the disc as an install. Switch 2 game key cards are not something I will support because of the lack of data. Now If Nintendo supported installing data like the Xbox One and PS4 and 5... That will change my mind quite a bit.

@Lizuka the last three Call of Duty games (Modern Warfare 2 & 3 and Black Ops 6) have done exactly this, ship a disc that has a 3GB app that downloads the rest of the game.

@Batfan2425 except the data is installed from the disc itself without any online verification or download. You can open a sealed PS5 in 100 years and it will install and play with no problem, that's isn't the case on NS2.

@Bigmanfan what is, the restaurant metaphor? This is where it leads. Whenever you buy something from a big company know one thing - if they could offer you less for the same price (or the same thing for a higher price), knowing you would still buy it, they would 100% do it.

I wouldn't mind if the game was installing from cartridge to internal storage (like with most disc based games from last generation and apparently most ps5 games, though not Xbox because Xbox is terrible for physical), but what's the point if it's just coming from the eshop, except to create even more plastic waste for no (Non-Stupid) reason.

I have to assume this Mr. Florence was paid by Nintendo. They also want Game-key Cards to fail. Nintendo wants ALL DIGITAL.

Now Mr. Florence can play both sides with an inflated ego!

There is some I understand, like SF6 (needs to be online for all modes, so essentially a GaaS), but most of the key-card debacle is garbage.

I don't want to be outdated the moment Gearbox decides Borderlands 4 on Switch 2 is no longer supported because Borderlands 4 on Switch 3 is now available.

@Samalik 50 years? Could you elaborate please.

@NielsNL yes it’s a more flexible download code not tied to an account but tied to servers. When these servers go down or the software disappears because of some licensing, your key card becomes a plastic waste! Support physical games!!!

I feel like the only message this will send to third parties is that Switch 2 owners don’t want these games at all, and if we just buy them digitally straight from the eShop instead they will just take it that people don’t want physical any more. Our hands are really tied on this.

Sadly the writing for physical games has been on the wall for a while now. Third parties would rather sell digitally since they don’t have to deal with the logistics of manufacturing and shipping and platform holders would prefer an all digital future because they make tons more through their own storefronts. In all likelihood Switch 2 will bring the last dying gasp of physical games; at best we’ll have companies like Limited Run become even more prominent as they step into publish games that third parties don’t want to print and see them get even more expensive as the demand for physical dwindles.

@SBandy1 No i meant a physical should have all data on, or you get a piece of paper by itself with a download code. NO CODE IN A BOX

Lol. So no ps5/xbox games then?

@WiltonRoots @WheresWaveRace

That's implying a classic even gets the respect it deserves. It took Nintendo 20 years to do anything with Fzero GX. Imagine if the Wii's games stopped working when the servers shut down, even if you own the disc. I don't care if you've already given up @Grimley141, but I do care about taking away an option, all because a company decided to turn off their servers when they see it as a liability to keep them running or maybe just get bored. No other product comes to mind where a company is allowed to break what you physically own on such a whim. It's ridiculous.

Additionally, some classics DON'T get re-released. I do not see a port of, say, Rodea the Sky Soldier happening anytime soon, considering Kadokawa has already forgotten about their own IP and Yuji Naka is.... well.... yeah. it's ridiculous that only the 10% of all gaming history is even allowed a re-release to begin with. That's a factoid that comes from the Video Game History Foundation, so you know it ain't bull coming outta me.

@Bunkerneath

Fair enough.

Game Key is different from code in a box though. It can be lent or resold.

I'm hearing a lot of the same comments here...

1. Physical lovers should get over it.
2. This is a better solution than game keys in the box
3. Games haven't been complete on the disc/cart in a long time

1. No one should get over anything they don't care for and speaking with your wallet is an excellent way to look for change. That doesn't mean anyone is forcing anyone else to do anything. You do what you want. But this host has a right to get the word out that we shouldn't buy these games.

2. Saying a glitter dusted turd is better than a turd is hardly worthy praise, so lets stop trying to sell that as a good thing. A turd is a turd no matter the turd.

3. While it is true that games have not been complete on disc/cart for a while now, in most cases you can still play the games without having to download a day one patch first. Just disconnect from the internet and pop a disc in. It works. Obviously this doesn't solve any game breaking bugs that may be on those discs/carts, but it is what most physical lovers are looking for.

@Zuljaras this i didn't know and if true makes it even worse cause you just can't do anything with it offline then

@Poco_Lypso idk if all 3rd party will be like this but there's already some questionable ones like bravely default being a game key card

@NielsNL I agree. And it’s more than just being able to re-sell it. It’s options. Options are never bad. At the very least you can decide not to buy a Game Key Card version and buy purely digital. Personally, I find the idea much better than the ‘code in a box’ games. They’re a lot more user friendly. As you’ve said, it not only allows developers to use smaller capacity (cheaper) cards, but some games won’t actually fit on 64Gb, so it creates opportunities for bigger games to be available. You could just get the digital version, but some people just like having a box, or maybe they’re a kid and their parents don’t want to put a payment method on their account. Are we really so against ‘options’ that we are willing to gatekeep games from kids? As adults we can just decide to go digital, or if there is a more expensive ‘all on card’ option we can do that (e.g. AC3 is £12.99 for the ‘code in box’ on Amazon right now, or £26.48 for the ‘all on card’ version - or you can skip all the box versions and buy it on eShop - options!).

@TrueBlueYoshi Just 2 problems: people without unlimited download limit are screwed and we have to pay for storage if we want to keep the game.

Sony and Microsoft have been doing this for years on discs. I've brought a few games physical on PS5 to find out when inserting the disc that the disc only holds product keys to unlock the downloads and a Hugh 100GB plus download is required. Welcome to current gaming.

My take is that there just isn't a solution that makes everyone happy. If we're not realistically going to see smaller games that fit on cheap versions of the cards too often then you're only choices are to either fork out for a larger capacity cartridge, or do something like this. And I don't personally care for paying over and over again for that storage space, so this (key cards) or just fully digital seem the way to go for me.

Yeah yeah, twenty or thirty years from now I might not have access to some of this stuff. But I'll have moved on largely at that point.

I honestly have no intention to buy any physical games for the Switch 2. I don't think I've bought anything aside from digital and a couple of discounted physical games for the system in a couple of years.

@NielsNL Yeah , Ninny must better explain whole concept , which IMHO is far better than download games ( you CAN resell it ! )

@Laserbeak1982
Who said every PS5 disc just only product key inside?
I played smaller GB size PS5 kids games like Bunny Park, Lemon Cake, Moving Out 2, Doraemon Story of Seasons, KOA, etc with size from under 1 GB to between 2 - 5 GB and the disc installed the whole games from disc.

@Ajent As always nobody thinks of the children ...

This has all changed over many, many years.

Vinyl to cassette, to CD to digital to subscription.

Betamax/VHS to DVD, to Blu Ray, to 4k Discs, to digital subscription.

Whilst physical is still holding on to a point in those mediums, the writing is on the wall.

Edit ..... I could have also listed the journey of PC games from floppy disk but you get the picture 😜

@Anti-Matter yes but those games are a very small proportion of the total games sold and the market won't be swayed by their sales. Companies will want to deploy uniform strategies across all games.

All digital is on its way whether we like it or not

No big deal to me. I will purchase whatever is cheapest, but these days prefer digital. Used to prefer physical, but find digital more convenient these days

@Anti-Matter didn't say every game, just some. It's pretty common now with larger games, as otherwise they'd be multiple discs. It's just a cost saving thing. With Switch the larger carts cost more, and having multiple carts with cost even more. Pretty simple.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a physical collector and have been since the N64, but unfortunately this is the current situation due to the data sizes of games now

@NielsNL yeah agree. I have LA Noire physical, love the game - but I think only about 4GB is on cart with about a 17GB download. The game-key in effect to me is the same thing really - once the servers are gone both games are gone. However I can (most likely) trade a game-key game in like i could LA Noire

@SillyG I believe having multiple games on one cart was an option added later on, but I could be wrong on that. Those type of carts just didn't really show up until the 2020s from what I remember.

@Zuljaras you mean the little check that happens right when you actually click on the app to play? I'm definitely not a fan of that yea. Especially cause I forgot to set my switch to primary console one time, and it literally wouldn't let me play even my switch 1 cartridges offline lol. I can't imagine how frustrating this will be with these game key cards 😂

Bravely Default will be on one, and I do really want Bravely Default, so y'know...

They are all third party games, blame those companies for cheaping out.

@NielsNL it's still a download though, so they ever decided to take that download off the servers your physical game key card no longer has any function

Well, if buying doesn't mean owning...

I don't know where you even would have gotten that idea. It's hardly a revolutionary feature. Like popping in a microSD card loaded with games, a Switch cartridge merely spawns individual icons for each game.

I can't recall what the earliest such example of a release was, but an early one (if not the earliest) I can recall is the Jeopardy!/Wheel of Fortune double pack that was exclusive to the US, as well as Hasbro Game Night, which released internationally in 2018, and included Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit Live, and Risk on a single cartridge, each spawning individual launchers.

@Samalik I haven’t connected my Wii to the internet in years and all my downloaded games are just fine so I’m not sure what your point is. They can’t just magically turn downloaded games off if they work offline.

The digital versions should be cheapest, the key-card ones the next least expensive, and the carts with all or the majority of data onboard should be the most expensive.

Otherwise they’re just passing the cost onto the consumer. It’s shrinkflation of a sorts.

Instead of this semi physical keycard thing meant to entice plastic hoarders, I’d rather the industry developed a block chain method to ensure ownership and track sales/trades using an efficient model, but I guess block chain methods are only for dubious or nefarious uses regardless of their potential in DRM
for creative assets. 😂

@NielsNL I think they aren't as bad as a code-in-the-box, but my concern will be like 20-30 years from now, Game publishers decide to shut down their servers and the rest of the game code goes with it, will I lose access to those game if I buy the cartridge used or borrow?

day 1 switch and I don’t own a single cartridge for it. Don’t think that’s going to be changing with switch 2. There is no reason to go physical anymore other than being a cheapo

I think the worst part is this just means more and more space will be needed for all these downloads, key card digital download or just download. I'll probably for sure be going through at least 2 microSD cards this generation-- I survived with just one for Switch 1.

The issue I have with this is that eventually when Nintendo Switch servers no longer contain the game in question that you want to play the game card becomes useless. I get that using a larger card that would hold all the data is more expensive but still. If Im gonna buy a physical version its because I like the game enough to make sure I can play it well into the future so this is not a solution I like unless I could back up game files onto another source but Im not gonna get into that.

@TristanRW2006 wind the clock forward 30 years and the games of today will be retro. You'll be able to get them somewhere, legit or not. It's things like patches more at risk of getting lost in time.

I mean yes that's nice, but if I see ER for 30 bucks or less then I'll get it a second time.

@Samalik I very much doubt I will be here in 50 years time (let alone 20) and I just don’t take the hobby that seriously. I have thousands of records amassed over the years from DJing. They’re a nuisance. I have DVDs and games taking up valuable space. They’re a nuisance. They just sit there gathering dust, generally once they’re beat I rarely go back. I just want to declutter rather than hoard. Digital suits me fine although I still buy some games physical, Zelda games for example.

@Duncanballs I know. Thats what I didn't want to say. Lets just say I use emulation as well and of course in the future that will be an option. I was just saying for the people who don't.

What is the point of going half physical and half download?

Just seems to me the worst of both worlds.

I'm not 100% opposed to this idea, unlike the stupid code-in-a-box format that Ubisoft has been vehemently employing, but it has to make sense. Even if I'm not intent on buying the game, I do appreciate Cyberpunk 2077 being on a cartridge, one that stores the highest amount possible, which undoubtedly doesn't come cheap, meanwhile Square-Enix is putting Bravely Default on a Key Card, which is absolutely laughable when the characters look like they're rocking PS1 models. Like be for freaking real, y'all may as well have made it a download only release at that point!

@cmdrmarc Notice I said "...in most cases..."

There are always going to be exceptions, but I absolutely have seen folks trying to use the "games haven't been complete on discs/carts for decades!" argument, which mostly falls apart. Metal Gear Solid is an exception.

I got used to this stuff when buying many third-party games on Switch (with the worst offenders being LA Noire and MGS Master Collection). I don’t get why people get so upset now when this has been the norm for 8 years. It’s not like you don’t have the option to move the downloaded data to an SD card or SSD/HDD before the servers would inevitably shut down. That’s what I did with my games 👍🏻

Honestly, governments should outlaw this behavior because they are selling you a product that they can take away from you at any time by shutting down the servers that supply the game download/install.

It's not right by any means. That is not buying a product. That is merely licensing the right to play a product for an undetermined time period.

@Lizuka Preach! Like I might at least consider these unlike the download code ones, since they're a step up. But unless you're someone who refuses to play digital games at all, this is an improvement over the current situation of codes in boxes at retailers.

That said... there's no reason Bravely Default shouldn't be on cart, that's BS.

@PharoneTheGnome If they outlaw it, they should also outlaw all digital purchases as well? Like, this is less scummy than digital only licenses for music, video games, and movies that have existed for decades.

Yeah no. If its the only way to get that game in physical form then im buying it.

Are the key card games going to be cheaper than the full game carts? Are they going to be in line with the digital copies? Being able to resell / move the game between systems muddies the waters with pricing. I think I would more okay with this if the price was cheaper.

@NielsNL

Indeed, wel said

I'm truly baffled by what the issue is here. Other than having to download, which we all did on switch 1 for many 3rd party games, what's the problem? You get the entire game and it's not locked to a system or account. Someone explain please?

@RupeeClock They already confirmed Switch 2 Edition cartridges will actually have all the data in the card, including the Switch 2 upgrade. At least for their first party games, that is.

https://www.ign.com/articles/switch-2-edition-games-contain-both-the-game-and-the-upgrade-on-the-cart-nintendo-clarifies

I mean I’ll just skip them like I did with Switch 1. Digital only people here are unable to understand of what actual ownership is and not being tethered to crap. If I wanted to play digital games then I would just play on a Steam Deck lol.

If CyberPunk can be a legitimate physical then so can low memory space games like Bravery Default of all things. Sorry I don’t reward companies with my sale by taking the lowest effort route.

@Arawn93 I don't care about temporary ownership (like not really owning the games because they'll disappear from their servers one day in the future), because I'm also temporary.

I can still re-download Wii Ware games I bought on the Wii Shop. And that's a 19 year old console by now.

If they support re-downloading your games 20 years from now, it's good enough for me.

@GamerOG77 They are afraid they won't be able to play the game when they are 120 years old and Nintendo is long gone (so, no servers for re-downloading the game data).

@Arawn93 Thanks.

Hot take. They're still better than full digital. Because they aren't at all linked to your account they still have resale value like a normal physical game. Which means you'll be able to buy used versions at a discount. I still like that better than price locked digital versions.

@StyrofoamCup Resistance is futile.
Is that you Liqutis from Star Trek?

I don’t understand the massive issue with this game key. The issue isn’t with the concept, it’s the fact that publishers will abuse it.

An example I used with a friend the other day, World of Warcraft, this type of game, what is the point of having data on a cartridge? This is the type of game it should be used for, one that constantly evolves, like most games nowadays with patches.

People have concerns about servers etc, but people can still downloads and play Wii games 20 years later

@Ultimapunch
yeah while i would much prefer full physical i do feel like these are better than a code-in-a-box at the very least and can still be purchased if the game is delisted from the online store.

Comparitively with something like NSOs legacy content if its delisted then its unplayable or with cloud gaming where you need to be online for the game to even function this method does feel like one of the better options when it comes to digital since as you mentioned it can also be re-sold and have more variable prices.

Again i do feel like ideally the game should be on the card whenever possible but this does at least improve on some of the flaws inherent with digital.

Hes right. No one should buy these

@RupeeClock I've read that Nintendo only provides 8GB and 64GB cartridges so that they can lower the prices quicker by not having that many different sizes available. 8GB is for indies and 64GB for AAA games. Everyone else in between will choose game key cards to be able to either sell it for a lower price like Bravely Default or just to be cheap. If there was a 16GB card, they'd take that one.

@KociolekDoSyta A gejmkards stoją po środku - możesz je sprzedać w przeciwieństwie do gier dałnlołdowanych , ale fizycznie nie posiadasz ich na zawsze . Dla mnie to pomysł lepszy niż dałnlołdy .

Why are these physical warriors on console then?

We all know PC is objectively the BEST place for preservation as its not bound by gens, and you cam pirate 30yo games and keep them in multiple HDDs for eternity.

the most important benefit of Switch over the other consoles is the chance to just get the cart and quickly play the game.

I barely play on the PS5 because each time I want to play a game, I need to take off a game, and reinstall by an hour or so the game again.

On that time, I've already finished my playtime on the Switch and I forgot about playing on the PS5.

Big games and need to install is a plain fail for the joy of the game industry. Switch has been cool just for that.

I agree with the author. If Game Key Cards are a success, Nintendo will continue and the next step will be full digital. And if you find the price of the Switch 2 and the games to be really too high, don't buy them, and remember that the 3DS dropped drastically in price when people didn't buy it at first.

We don't all have an internet connection fast enough to download a 64GB game in a reasonable timeframe. And Nintendo has already answered that with its puzzling decision to undersell the amount of memory the system comes with.

I think physical copies have been a good workaround for Nintendo's own limitations. Not just onboard memory but also shutting down online services at a whim.

Some people still own an original NES and whatever games they purchased. Same can't be said for digital games that are shut down or removed from sales. Not to mention forced updates which can destroy the speed running community.

Physical copies give the balance of power to the customer. Digital copies give the balance of power to the company.

@NielsNL until Nintendo shuts down the shop and now you don’t have the game anymore

100% agreed with this. Publisher's take note: you WILL lose sales from this.

@Slain 100% agreed with this. Publisher's take note: you WILL lose sales from this.
I'll believe this when I see the numbers but I think people will be disappointed it's going to go the other way - more will join the fray.

I believe this Mighty Boosh quote sums up Game-Key Cards:

'The past and the future combine to make something not quite as good as either.'

@Jaw005 In 20-ish years? That's okay for most people, or at least for me.

I can still re-download Wii Ware games I bought on Wii Shop Channel back in the day. The Wii was released 19 years ago.

I will never buy this! Full game on cartridge or no buy! Nintendo got really tricky with this! But still the game key is bound to a server, so once the license expires or server goes down, the game is gone!!!! Nintendo should only increase price for games that require more space on cartridge-that would be reasonable, but not this!!!!!!

@RupeeClock
No not really:
Minimum: 8gig
Max:64 gig

Nothing inbetween
Can you see why we will get ALOT game key cards

PS:
Bravely Def Remaster is 11 gig

If we could "Local-User-Match" the gamecart data like updates it'd be less terrible when server shutdown.
The only thing a Nintendo Rep told me was

"Thank you for your interest in the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Game Key Cards. While we understand your enthusiasm, at this point we cannot provide you with any other details than what can already be found on the official Nintendo website."

Grreat.

@Zadaris
But the past is not locked to console and requiring serverbased online auth.

@Znake You mean like in 20+ years? We can still re-download Wii Ware games on a Wii, and that's a 19 year old console, whose shop games can't be purchased anymore.

I think it's a lot of time okay for re-downloading games. And until they actually remove Wii servers altogether so Wii Ware aren't redownloadable, we won't actually know the time it would take for Nintendo to remove Switch 2 servers.

@Alcea Game Key Cards can be booted without a Nintendo account and without your console being online.

Given you download the data beforehand, of course. After that, no more online needed at all.

@Olmectron
No.
I'm referring to copying the downloaded data to a SECONDARY Switch2 unit over LocalWifi

Also you forget one very important point:
The data on device still alwqys requires the game key to be inserted to even boot

CD DRM we are back

@Alcea Just like a physical cartridge, yeah.

PS5 physical games also get copied to internal memory, even if the data is in the disc, or download big day one updates, and you still need the disc inserted to play in 99% of the cases.

@Zuljaras We'll see when it releases. But statements from Nintendo themselves suggest otherwise. It's just the data needed to be download, like a game update.

Even if you emailed Nintendo, they usually give copy-pasted answers most times not answering the actual questions.

@Zuljaras I stand corrected. Thanks.

This actually raises some questions.

Meh if anything I'll just buy these digital instead of tying these to game key card. One of the most guilty pleasure was that Bravely Default Remaster is also just a game key card, like c'mon Square Enix that's just a 3DS port, you mean you can't just put the whole game on a cheap cartridge? I could understand if Final Fantasy VII Remake Interlude is a game key card but why Bravely Default? You're basically charging us for a rental with no late fees.

Cloud gaming, digital download, code in a box, live service, digital key cards, and game key cards are all just renting, they are not even a product. They all count as just renting cause they could be taken away from us. In any case, I can see Limited Run Games having a field day with these, hopefully they took advantage of these game key card situation and release actual physical edition of these games. Both Elden Ring and Street Fighter 6 should be their biggest seller if they could make it happen.

@NielsNL That idea only flies as long as the Switch eShop servers stay online!

Just look at the Nintendo 3DS. If there were games like that with empty cartridges, then those physical games would be literally worth nothing anymore! As the 3DS eShop is gone. You cannot download any game anymore.
I had a lot of digital purchases and had to make sure I had downloaded them all. Had to buy a larger SD card so I could download everything, before the eShop went offline.

The reason why the Retro games market is so active and popular with old classic consoles, is that both consoles and game cartridges work. No internet connection required and the game cartridges have the full game on them.

@RubyCarbuncle Because gamers are too gullible, too obsessed with FOMO and need a good kick in the butt to fight back against this corporate greed!

What's the point in buying a physical game anymore, if all you get is an empty cartridge with a keycode on it?
Somewhere in the near future, Nintendo will shut down the Switch eShop, just like they did with the Wii/WiiU and DS/3DS eShop and all those Physical games will be completely worthless and worth nothing. Since there is nothing on those cartridges!

@jeronan All correct, but the reality is that large sized cartridges are still quite expensive — plus physical stores have become less relevant these days. Most publishers will therefore skip a physical release.

As long as the servers are up, this Game-Key card option gives us the option to buy, own and resell a game. (Not better than having the game on the card, I agree, but at least we are offered a choice.)

I just realized nothing matters:
These carts need a server connection on first launch.

So we are done

No interest in those games anyway

@Zuljaras Playing the devil's advocate, I hope it's some kind of linking between Switch 2's serial code and the cartridge ID, and that it happens every time you change to a new console, just for identification purposes against Nintendo servers.

Otherwise, it could be something very wrong, like actually linking the game only to one console and not work on anything else.

2TB mico express SD card please.

As a PC player mainly I haven't been concerned about physical media for almost 2 decades and PC games are the most preserved games out there. People will find a way to preserve them.

This gives people the flexibility to then sell the cart which is the only legitimate complaint previously about digital games.

Otherwise all I see is a whole lot of misinformation and misunderstanding in these comments.

Hey GameMaster if you so incline to tells how we spend our money WHY don't you help pay those Devs to put it on Physical cart???? So if your going to push a agenda you should help pay for it to become Full cart physical games????? RIGHT???

I will avoid it because I'll be buying digital. The game key is very much like the PS and Xbox game you download and then you must insert the disc. The disc doesn't have much on it beyond the licence key so you can resell. Of course you'll need internet to download the product like PS or Xbox.

I can sense that these game-key releases might be resold very cheap.

I probably won't buy a single physical title unless I buy them at the same time as my switch so I really don't care about this game key card controversy to be honest

Game key cards don't bind at the account level so can be resold

Game key cards download the missing data when you put it in, just like all games patch on first use.

It saves companies that can't afford or don't want to invest in full size carts money which in this gods awful economy is understandable.

You don't like them? Fine, don't buy them. Other than that this just seems like much ado about nothing.

as if people have the will power to abide by this rule haha. many publishers will opt for the game key model to save on costs and will simply not offer a true physical copy. by not purchasing the game, you run the risk of putting the publisher out of business, even if their work was good and deserving of praise. seems like a slippery slope, especially at a time where physical media is on its way out whether we like it or not. make no mistake, this is the last generation with physical media for nintendo, sony and microsoft. if we do get physical media on the ps6, it will be sparse and/or limited to special edition pre-orders perhaps.

It won't be before long that third party games won't be able to fit on the cartridge. And some are going to cheap out straight away by taking the game key route.

So it looks like third party gaming on the Switch 2 will again be the most favorable option, right from the bat.

I don’t plan to buy a Game-Key releases.

That'll be too easy for a guy like me. I've already left feedback with Square-Enix expressing my immense disappointment with how they're handling Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD"s release as a Lame Key Card. There's no excuse for that, considering the game is only 11GB in terms of space. Hell, there's no excuse for this technology to exist, period. Cheap, lazy, I won't be buying. I'm also holding off on the Switch 2 for a while on top of all that, had Square-Enix handled this right and given us a full-fledged game on the cart? I would've gladly bought the game and the system day one. Nintendo is seriously screwing the pooch here, that's for sure.

@NielsNL What happens when Nintendo pulls the server? That's the crux of the issue.

@Porco If it gets that bad, the publisher could just, y'know, put the full game on the cartridge? There's no excuse for a tiny game like Puyo to be put on a game key card.

@darylb24 Many Playstation 5 games don't require to be downloaded. Aside from patches, the full game is on the disc.

@NielsNL What's the excuse for the really small games being on game key cards?

@RubyCarbuncle If you get "telling you what to do" from their tweet, then lol. They're just trying to let more people know the state of physical Switch 2 games.

@Olmectron Nintendo doesn't have to away from the servers to also go away. Nintendo themselves have stated that they plan on taking down the Wii server.

@RubyCarbuncle Yeah but when? It's still TBD.

It's been 20 years (nearly) since the Wii release. If the Switch 2 game servers are okay until 2045 I'll be okay with that.

I hope this whole game-key thing crashes and burns. At least they are showing it on the case, which I think is somewhat respectable. I just worry about the consumers who don't read in before jumping in, but I suppose that's their decision.

Please support this petition, share where you can and don't purchase game key cards

https://www.change.org/p/save-your-money-save-gaming

So what I’m getting from these key cards may be good for when I travel and use different Switch 2s. Currently, my 2nd Switch (no primary) has to connect to the Internet to verify my account to be able to play a downloaded game. This appears to bypass that if the game is already downloaded. So now if I’m in an area where I can’t connect to the Internet somehow then I don’t need to. 🤔

@Duncanballs We also don't owe them anything either. They aren't entitled to our wallet. And actually, these companies wouldn't be where they are if not for the people buying their products. It's telling when a company is desperate they will put on a show of caring about you. Look at Nintend with the 3DS struggling. Or the WiiU. But when they are doing incredibly well? They become arrogant.

@LoneWolfSones That's freewill and choice. No one is denying that.

Imagine a future where you have a Switch2 but no more games

Tarnished edition, indeed.