Nintendo is launching a new physical game option for the Switch 2 (known as “game-key cards”) that don’t contain the “full game data” and are instead used as a “key” to download the game onto your system via the internet.
While these cards haven’t exactly been received favourably so far, they will be different to the previous “code-in-box” offering during the Switch generation. GameSpot has got some clarification and according to Nintendo’s Tetsuya Sasaki, key cards will play on any Switch 2 system and are “not tied to an account”.
Tetsuya Sasaki: “So key cards will start up on the console or system that it is slotted into, so it’s not tied to an account or anything”
So, if what’s mentioned here is accurate, it effectively means you could lend these key cards to family members and friends as they are no longer fixed to an account.
It’s still not a proper physical release, but some may see this new option in a more positive light. It might mean you could also basically resell these key cards. Of course, when Nintendo one day takes the Switch 2 servers offline, it will still likely be game over for download cartridges.
As highlighted by the same source, Nintendo’s customer support page also notes how these game-key cards will need to remain inserted in the Switch 2 even after the game is downloaded and installed. An internet check will also be a first-time requirement.
