Most physical third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games in Japan are now Game-Key Cards, with a similar trend emerging in Western markets.
According to Gematsu, Japan’s Switch 2 pre-order launch revealed that all third-party physical games, except CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077 and non-Switch 2 Edition titles, use Game-Key Cards, requiring 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
In the West, Sega’s Switch 2 titles also rely on Game-Key Cards. For instance, Walmart’s listing for Sonic X Shadow Generations confirms this format.
Only four third-party physical Switch 2 games avoid Game-Key Cards: 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.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal clarified that some game cards contain only a download key, not the game itself. Switch 2 Edition titles, however, include both the game and upgrades on the cartridge.
Switch 2 Game-Key Cards are physical cards with a download code, lacking actual game data. Users must download the game after inserting the card. Boxes are clearly labeled on the lower front to indicate this, ensuring buyers know what they’re getting.
Titles like Street Fighter 6 and the Bravely Default remaster carry the Game-Key Card disclaimer, while Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza do not. Cyberpunk 2077, at 64 GB, is stored directly on the cartridge.
Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes
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Daniel Ahmad, Director of Research & Insights at Niko Partners, noted that the reliance on Game-Key Cards could strain the eShop during the Switch 2’s June launch as players rush to download 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.
Ahmad explained that game cards are pricier than discs, with costs rising per GB. Publishers favor digital games and lower-capacity cards for better margins, as digital sales dominate.
Christopher Dring, Editor-In-Chief at The Game Business, described Game-Key Cards as “essentially gift boxes for digital codes.”
“With fewer game retailers, rising production costs, a younger audience that’s indifferent, and a push for sustainability, physical media is heading in one direction,” Dring said.
Switch 2 pre-orders began April 24 and sold out quickly. Some Nintendo fans are now posting fake Switch 2 auctions on eBay to counter scalpers.
