Furukawa's Defence Of Game-Key Cards Ain't All That Convincing

Urgh, more stirring.

It's an option. Don't like them? don't buy them! Done.

Well it’s an option. I would have problem if it was mandatory.

If Nintendo were so confident the customer base would accept Key Cards, then they would have released their 1st party games on them.

Oddly enough they didn’t….

Nintendo make both key cards and regular carts an option.

They can't control whether a third party chooses them other than making them an option, and if they weren't an option it's very possible the 3rd parties would just do the code in a box nonsense instead.

Preferably regular cart sales outselling key cards should make third parties think twice about key cards if they're only using Key Cards to cheap out.

@Ogbert is it an option if most games use it or digital games exclusively?

Im struggling to see the issue. I buy digital for convenience. If the game is naff, i finish it, get bored etc. im stuck with it.
Key card, same scenario, but I can sell it on.
Of course a cart is better, but surely being able to sell it is better than digital, plus the price will likely lower as it moves through the second hand market unlike the expensive digital option.

@splinters That's me talking too.

I got Street Fighter 6. Played it and sold it to another person afterwards who doesn't care if the game will still be playable after 20 years or so.

Kind of see both sides of the argument.

Also, apparently, this may be speculation, Nintendo only offering costly higher GB cartridges to devs only. May be that Nintendo is concerned the performance is effected by lower GB cartridges?

If it helps smaller developers get their games on stores, then I'm fine with them. They're just one more option, it's up to the publisher to decide which card they want to use.

Let me repeat this here in case some sharholders are wondering. I buy most of my games in a proper physical format. I'm not buying game-key cards or code-in-a-box. If a game is only available digitally and takes too much space, I'm not buying it.
I've already skipped a bunch of games on Switch and I have a huge backlog. In 2025 you can't make an effort for your customers? I won't play your game. To each their own.

@Khwarezm89 indeed, in that way, it’s much better than digital only option (both take up the same storage space) and could well end up being a more cost effective option than a physical cart which will likely hold its price. For someone like me who doesn’t collect games, just likes to play them then move on, its great.

@LEGEND_MARIOID It could be simply that they aren't able to source enough 8GB/16GB/32GB storage chips that are fast enough to be used in game cards.

@Raifteiri Yes.

All games have a digital option, so if there is a key card print, then that is an option for you to take or leave as you please.

Devs that are using key cards were likely never going to pay for the full card. Whatever their reason for it, be it they can't afford it, their game wont fit on one, they're not willing to invest in an unproven market for them. Whatever the reason is, it's irrelevant because the same reason is why a full cart release wouldn't happen.

So you got the choice:

• buy the game digitally
• buy the key card and have a digital copy you can sell on, trade etc
• don't buy it at all and play something else.

It's an option. For you and for the publishers. Don't like it, don't use it.

At least there are smaller physical publishers who are prioritising having everything on the cartridge like Lost in Cult (and they’re not interested in making things extremely limited either). It’s not ideal but hopefully third parties who don’t want to do proper physical copies themselves will be receptive to companies like that doing it for them.

When your storage and games are expensive and I can get them elsewhere. I am getting them elsewhere. Most likely on pc.

“Unappealing” is putting it politely! I feel game key cartridges are closer to “hot garbage” personally.
The only fair use case for the things are for games of huge size, in excess of 64GB. For everything smaller, Nintendo should have found a way to provide relatively cheap media that publishers can use, just as in the Switch 1 days.

The vast majority of Switch 1 games were on the cart and plug & play, just as in previous Nintendo generations (granted there were many patches, but at least the software was present). I think under current circumstances, we’ll see physical Switch 1 games persist for smaller games, some of which with downloadable Switch 2 upgrades (like Bandai-Namco’s Shadow Labyrinth). I’d rather go that route than buy an empty game key cart.

@Raifteiri is on the money.

"Much Ado About Nothing", clearly. I wonder how many people 'boycott' the Game Key Cards vocally — but buy them (or digital copies) anyway?

Give it a year at most and people will be complaining about something else, with plenty of these in their physical games collection.

Unpopular opinion: The effect of game-key cards on the number of releases will be minimal.

They should be cheaper than cartridges with small capacity, which were popular for NS1 games „with additional download required“.

They will replace a few „code in a box“ releases, but not all of them.

„Switch 2 Edition“ games are on NS1 cartridges, so they can also be played on NS1 (and extracted with existing tools for „preservation“). If the pressure from publishers is really high, I expect that Nintendo will soon allow pure NS2 games on cheap and slow NS1 cartridges.

at this point its a glass half full vs half empty mindset. do you see this as a physical game with the cons of digital, or a digital game with the pros of physical?

for my case this is still useless to me, and i find it sleazy to market it as a physical game first since you know people are still gonna misunderstand what this is when they see it on shelves

Yeah, Nintendo needs more cart sizes, not just 64GB. There should be 4GB, 32GB and 128GB options as well to reduce costs. This will also incentivise devs to optimise storage to make it fit.

I think the small publishers like Super Rare will continue to release like before, however most likely scrutinise games for their popularity considering increased pricing, to ensure any releases they offer are going to sell.

It's clear we are going to be paying the cost for the 64GB carts (should no other options be available) but it'll need to be a popular game for people to instead pay £50. I wonder if they will continue to release Switch 1 games for much longer than originally planned, considering their forward compatibility.

nintendo has become extremely greedy.... I genuinely hope they get some serious slap to their face and come back to planet earth
sorry if I am pissed, I just realized on a plane that I can't use MY OWN digital games on the switch lite because of the digital card idiocy...

This just shows that Furakawa and the engineers only listened to the AAA teams, and not the mid-range boys that most of Japan is, meaning they listened mostly, if not exclusively, to the Americans. As an American, that is the worst possible way to do anything. The only thing we're good at is lying on camera.

@Elitepatriot "And if I'm putting up with PC, I moght as well get them for free" is my full version of that statement.

Same old rhetoric arguments again and again 'They are doing it because they have to' and 'if you don't like it don't buy it' ..go away Nintendo junkies!

@The_Spanner

No thanks. Nintendo games rarely go on sale and the ones that do only go down 30%.

BotW, Smash Ultimate, Odyssey… I all bought physical and used. Lower price and no tax.

I like buying physical games for the Switch and I like selling games. I don’t buy games exclusively physical and I predominantly play on PC where my entire library is essentially digital but expandable storage is dirt cheap. I’m not spending $200+ CAD for a proprietary SD card today, so I’ll wait a while before considering adding more storage to my Switch 2, which will push me to avoid buying large games digitally.

Don't understand where all this noise is coming from - dinosaurs who like to put games on shelf? Game keys exist as games are getting too large for the media they have. 64gig cards are available and they are way more expensive for publisher over the 32gig switch 1 ones. of course game keys make sense and are PRO CUSTOMER as it allows them to trade and sell! part of me wishes they just ripped the band aid off and went all digital tbh. Also, you are not preserving anything, games are dynamic and change over time with improvements.

Why the stirring. people can decide for themselves.
For me its just happy gaming and enjoy every game to the fullest.

@Elitepatriot

100% this

"I'm concerned that if third-party titles using Game-Key Cards don't sell well, it will discourage third parties from supporting the Switch 2"

Whose fault is that when it comes to your "physical drms"? Invent something stupid and then cry about it. At this point, digital is the better choice than this waste of resources. Either digital or full physical, no in between.

In the meantime, my Switch 1 physical collection just reached 300 games, fully on cart.

Shuntaro Furukawa shown shocked Pikachu face for the customer who complained about game key cards. 😑
He invented that idea and now he's concerned about 3rd party support. 🙄
I mean don't invent the game key card idea if you want to support 3rd party.

Btw, my crazy idea about smaller cartridge size, why don't make the Switch 1 cartridge with smaller size, offer to smaller 3rd party developer then swap the cartridge color with red to make it looks like Switch 2 cartridge?
I mean the smaller indie games will get benefit from smaller cartridge size and their games will get boosted performance on Switch 2, even by using Switch 1 internal cartridge with Switch 2 shell as its husk.

Whatever you say Furukawa, I've already got over key cards. No, I'm not buying your third party games digitally, I'm getting them physically on my PS5.

@KociolekDoSyta It made me smile reading that you now have 300 physical games on cart. I think I'm similar to that, and couldn't be happier - what a great collection of games I'm sure we both have, and they are forever ours if we want them to be!

And then you have super tight Capcom that won't even bother to distribute some of its titles in Europe, despite saving a load of money by embracing Game-Key Cards.

Am I going to import a Game-Key Card from Japan? No f-ing chance.

Game not on card = no buy. Simple as that.

@HugoGED I'm with you on this. If a game is exclusively digital or key card then I just won't buy it for Switch. Yes, that is me missing out due to my own principles but so be it, it wasn't meant to be for me playing said game.

Like you, if it does come out physically on PS5 as well and complete on disc, then I'll happily buy it and play on there instead, as I don't all that often play Switch handheld anyway!

@Ogbert hard to call it an option when there aren’t any other physical alternatives

If the file size really is the issue, then have the system use a media that allows bigger files to be stored on it.

Right now, all they're doing is shoving the cost onto the consumer by practically forcing the consumer to buy additional storage in the form of those expensive express SD cards that are also just rather difficult to come by, especially any that actually have some significant size to it.

That's probably my biggest gripe with these atrocious game key cards. The addition of it coming with the worst of both physical and digital worlds is just icing on top.

These things can't become a thing of the past fast enough. By far the worst thing to come out of the Switch 2 generation.

"It's an option", true.
But the option some people would prefer is not available.
And this option is not a valid replacement for the missing option, rather a variant of the other available option.
The problem is the missing option. If we had all options, this would not be an issue.

@Ellie-Moo I love them! I love my Switch and my physical collection. It's so nice to have them, put them inside, hold them and to know that they have a value to me, just myself. That there's a full game on it. I love physical carts starting from the first Game Boy era.

Exactly that and it's not about resell value, it's about our own value, just for us. Cheers!

Edit: I searched the wrong format, my bad, there still isn't really proof that smaller sizes would be cheaper to manufacture at speeds compatible with Switch 2 games so as much as my example was wrong I still think its irresponsible to report as fact that Nintendo is withholding options without having any evidence it would be cheaper to produce or more affordable to publishers.

Okay, everyone in the articles and comments broke me I just made an account for this.

Do me a favor and search for 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB MicroSD Express cards... if you completed that step you will see they don't exist. There is no cheaper option Nintendo is withholding, it doesn't exist. It would in all likelihood be more expensive to start manufacturing smaller cartridges than to just buy 64GB ones.

I knew this was a common misunderstanding but to see the website itself spreading this outright lie without even double checking if smaller sizes exist disappoints me, people make up enough stuff without the people they rely on for reporting buying onto commonly believed lies without double checking

Funnily enough, you're missing the part that happened at the same meeting where they consulted third parties about them before hand with the view to due to the size offer an option to have store space.

So while yes they suck, we can very much blame third parties.

It does effectively confirm what I thought may be the reason for them, Nintendo consulted third parties and got their opinions thus came up with the GCK.

We will never fully know what that consultation was and how it was put and we can assume they only consulted with the big publishers, but it does suggest they would opt not to use physical and only do digital.

The space reason to a degree you can get, if it doesn't fit on a 64gb card. But yes they could make bigger cards.
However we do know the tech is cuurrently expensive, in time this will fet cheaper, but not yet. Nintendo needed something for third parties now.

https://gamerant.com/nintendo-switch-2-game-key-cards-how-they-came-to-be/

I think time is already telling. Out of the three S2 owners I know personally (four, including myself) all of us are avoiding key cards like the plague.

Purely anecdotal, but I know I’d have bought Yakuza 0 at the least if it wasn’t this abomination of a format.

It’s because of cheap 3rd party studios this option exists at all. I’m sure Nintendo would love to say that part, but that would push developers off their platform by claiming some of their partners are penny pinchers. I’m starting to think Nintendo is selling the 64GB game cards at cost.

@SplatRay001 How? You have 3 options:

• buy digital
• buy key card and have a digital copy with the ability to sell, swap and lend of a physical
• don't buy it.

That's three whole options! Without the key card you'd have two: buy digital or not at all.

@splinters you will have to sell it super discounted and at a major value loss. Why? Bc it is a digital game and we all know the eshop does major digital sales throughout the life cycle of a console. Then there's the whole memory situation and the fact that some of the file sizes are massive and the Switch 2's internal storage is minimal. Throw in the scarcity of large microsd express cards on the market and the Game Key Cards are not attractive options.

@Rosona I don’t think going above 64GB is the problem. Smaller sizes might cost more than the 64GB option. Nintendo doesn’t have a need for a larger sizes yet, but if one of these third parties needed 128GB or 256GB at a high level, those cards would be out.

The smaller sizes might be more expensive since the storage sizes aren’t in demand as they used to be, wherever Macronix is buying it. Game cards are more than just flash storage.

@Ogbert you buy digital when the eshop does one of its massive sales. You have zero incentive to pay full price for a glorified piece of plastic. The third party seller ends up losing money either way.

@BBBBBBBBBBB 64GB is the de facto base storage any more for storage. Same can be said with USB thumb drives.

@Elitepatriot except PC game prices on newer games are just as expensive. Also, storage on PC has jumped in price too

While I may not mind the key-cards, I do mind that the president of nintendo does not seem too bothered by all the complaints. man we need someone like iwata(bless is soul) and reggie in charge again.

@Davesy22 If they have zero incentive, why are they doing it?

Don't confuse your own personal purchasing practices for those of the average consumer. Don't confuse the purchasing practices of those here for that of the average consumer.

And don't ignore the benefits the key card gives over the digital download, because there are some and to pretend their isn't makes any valid points you may have feel biased and not valid. They key card allows you to sell on the game after, or to lend it to a friend or swap key cards with friends. And yes you can now do that to a limited extent with virtual cards on Switch and Switch2, but the key card allows you to do it without any restrictions.

@BBBBBBBBBBB Maybe you should have done a better search, yourself. Switch 2 game cards aren't micro sd express cards, so the sizes they are available in is irrelevant.

@fabiop I had the same problem... and lent a switch to my cousin (i have a lite, OLED and V2)... unfortunately they moved 50 miles away and the switch they have is the primary, and no way am I taking the s2 "out and about", unless i know its in a relatively secure hotel or similar 🤣

I am still not seeing the problem with game key cards. I did not get any at launch. But that was cause I didn’t get that many games at launch. The ones I got were on sale on the eshop with an upgrade option. I did download street fighter 6 but I had the ps5 disc already. But if they release a certain third party game that feels like it is pretty much on par with the other console versions I will get a game key in the future. Game keys to me just seem like some games I bought on ps5 that were ps4 disc that had an upgrade. I downloaded the game but I still have to have the ps4 disc inserted to play the game. So I am in on certain ones in the future.

My only issue with game key cards are that they are confusng when you have several switches, and that they have put keycards on games like Fortnite which is stupid. I personally see these as good in comparrison to digital, and not comparable to physical releases. I hope they are careful to market them for what they are and not mislead people.

They know enough suckers will believe the bs and support this garbage. I'm really tired of hearing excuses for why game key cards are being used. Nintendo could've stuck with regular micro SD cards. The Steam Deck and other pc handhelds use them with no issues. Nintendo is using a format that isn't widely used and very expensive. They are helping publishers kill off physical media. "But Nintendo's own games are fully on the cartridge!" That's also intentional. They had to throw their customers a bone to not look like complete bad guys. I'm willing to bet anything they wanted the Switch 2 to be all digital but knew the backlash would be way too intense to do that. So compromise for now by offering game key cards while still making their own games fully available on the cartridge. The people won't be as upset because Nintendo is still the "savior" of physical media. It's all just a scummy scam to wrestle control away from the consumers when it comes to what they can and cannot purchase. And if anyone thinks publishers will go away from game key cards once the SD card prices drop, I got beachfront property in Idaho to sell you. They will move the goalposts on why they have to keep using game key cards even if the format is dirt cheap in a few years. It'll all come back to one thing, control. These companies really don't want you owning anything anymore.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the top-selling third party game for Switch 2 is Cyberpunk 2077, which comes with the full game on the cartridge. I buy both digital and physical games. I prefer to buy physical, but I don't ever intend to buy game key cards.

@BBBBBBBBBBB like you didn't double check the format of a switch cartridge?

Pot. Kettle. Black.

First world frixel ball'n'chains bloating the game sizes (and, for that matter, budgets) in the first place have never been all that convincing in terms of worth or value either, but I don't see fan posteriors demand any defendant claims about them.

In all irony, I still see select spots in Minsk sell PC game bootlegs in no-download physical form (basically a 64 or 128 Gb USB stick packaged into a DVD case), but it's obvious where that form's costs are saved.😏

When asked, the top reason for those who buy a digital library is "convenience". There are no end of commenters stating that they "don't see the issue". If you have a digital library, for convenience, why would you want a fake physical format, that makes you install your games, but need to swap carts, like a physical game? Those who buy physical titles now have to download and buy extra storage, and lose the plug and play aspect of physical games. These game key cards benefit neither end-user, at all.
If physical game buyers are such a minority, as some claim, then why would there be a need for physical titles at all? Either their sales do matter, or they don't. If key-cards exist to retain a retail presence, that is not a valid reason. Nintendo and their partners need to pick a lane. If they want to abandon genuine physical games, just do it then. If we, those who insist on having our games on the cart, are such a minority, they won't lose sleep over the lost sales. If we do matter, however, then they should row back this nonsense put out games on a proper cartridge and/or digital. Not this fake garbage that serves no-one except their profit margins.

Corporate word salad

this is not a physical release and if they release the game in this format, it means they do not place trust in it

@Ogbert By your logic I should sell my Switch 2 then, and many other people too.

Because "don't like them, don't buy them" doesn't apply here.

If I want a physical copy of Mario Kart World and not the digital one, "don't like the digital copy? don't buy that and get physical one" would apply.

But for example with other games like Yakuza 0 that option is not there, digital copy is digital, and game key card is... also digital, but they waste resources on a box and plastic cartridge that doesn't contain the game on it instead.

So... don't get the game at all then? Seems so, and thus I would have to drop Switch 2 and many other people too.

See, I don't always mind digital games, I have some digital games on my Switch 1, because I choose to buy them digitally.

Doesn't apply to the other 100+ games I got physically (and no you will not find Assassin's Creed, Borderlands Collection and so on in between my physical games, because they are not complete on the cartridge, so I got them digitally)

Because I made that choice on Switch 1
Because I had that choice on Switch 1 (I also imported a ton of games too)

But with Switch 2 that option is not there, don't like it = don't buy it logic means = don't buy it, but 90%+ will be game key card so deal with it or sell your Switch 2.

Simple as that, there is no choice if you don't like it except selling the Switch 2 or accepting it.

For now I was only interested in 2 games, Rune Factory and Mario Kart World so I got that.

But the moment I see more game key cards pop up for games that I really want, I will ask myself the question if I want the digital one on Switch, or on PC.

And considering both are digital, the benefit of having a physical copy on Switch 2 will not apply (and I bought many Switch games on Switch 1 because portable play AND physical).

So I will start looking at things like "do I want to play this portable and if yes, does it have to be on Switch 2?"

No option for true physical will make me buy less Switch 2 games, but I know I am the minority and most people will buy these games without issues, game key card or not.

Precisely what Nintendo wants.

I won't be buying any game keys. I would have gotten Yakuza 0 day one but since it's game key only, I will maybe buy it digitally some day, but only after it goes on sale and after cheaper microSD express cards are available.

I don't expect a hot resell market for these game keys either. Does anyone know how much GameSpot will pay someone for their game key games right now? More than $5?

What hobbies are all the "gamers" taking up next gen when all gaming is digital only?

Maybe Nintendo Life should do a poll? 🤷‍♂️

@Rayquaza2510
Nope, that does not appear to be his logic, he isn't saying sell Switch 2, you have twisted it to state that.

This however "No option for true physical will make me buy less Switch 2 games, but I know I am the minority and most people will buy these games without issues, game key card or not."
Is likely going to be the case for a lot of people, chart sales seem to suggest this already, an physical die hards simply wont buy the game, this won't just be you. There will cetainly be a portion and perhaps a bigger portion than expected which will buy GCK, but I dont think it will be without issues, it will be because they can't get it physical or assumed it was physical, thats very different.

I don’t consider myself to be ‘boycotting’ (i.e. performatively ‘doing nothing’) Card Keys but as a traditionally physical gamer, I find them sufficiently off-putting that the only way I could imagine buying a Card Key game is if:

A) The digital version gets a DEEP (80%+) discount on the eShop.

B) The Card Key is sold for a similarly big discount secondhand.

In both cases I can think of it as the price of a ‘rental’ and not worry about the fact I might uninstall it to save space later. I don’t need to feel I ‘own’ it if I got it for a steal.

I’ve bought plenty on digital eShop-only games before, but never a full-fat AAA title at full price. The cost (not just financially but also in terms memory space) has always felt quite prohibitive.

But that’s just me.

Its great that third party games dont sell that well. Nobody should support this game key card trash. I wouldve bought at least2-3 games for the switch2 if those were not game key cards. Thanks to the publishers i guess because i saved a lot of money

@Rosona "he isn't saying sell Switch 2, you have twisted it to state that."

I am not twisting his words, but it is the only logical conclusion to "Don't like them? don't buy them!".

Because not buying GKC means digital is the only way, but considering most people that dislike GKC don't want digital games either.

Means they don't buy the games

And if they accept the GKC or a digital game, then this whole problem doesn't exist for them, which is fine.

That is why "Don't like them? don't buy them!" is not a real option with the Switch 2 if one is against GKC, the only two options like I said before is to accept digital version or GKC, or not get the games.

But if you skip so many games, is there a reason to have the Switch 2 for Switch 2 games?

I got Switch 2 mainly for the Nintendo titles and because it gives a good performance boost to some Switch 1 games, but I will be buying much less games on Switch 2 because of GKC (I already explained that in my other comment if you read that)

So no, you read wrong what I meant, so this is my more dumbded down explanation.

We know Nintendo is keeping the smaller cards to themselves, which is not okay in of itself. The next question is: What's the cost difference between a 64GB card and a Game Key Card. If the amount is relatively small, then we can easily accuse the big companies of being cheap, especially considering how inexpensive a 64GB card is these days.

THAT SAID!

It's also just as likely that Nintendo is being greedy on the subject and they're letting the success of the Switch 1 adversely affect the Switch 2 out of the gate. It's my hope that this situation course-corrects.

Because as of right now, I have no incentive to wanna buy "Game Key Cards." I tried it out with Street Fighter 6, but I don't like it, frankly. Using my physical slot to play a digital game is honestly awful. I'm passing on the Dragon Quest I & II "physical" editions because of it. The only game I would buy it for again at this point is Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and only if it had one of those nice deluxe editions. Otherwise, this might be the generation that makes me go primarily digital, which is likely the end goal here.

I have one question about Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma which I heard from previous article said the Switch 2 cartridge version can be played on Switch 1 machine.
What was that mean?
Was the Switch 2 cartridge version actually using Switch 1 cartridge then the cartridge shell get swapped with red color of Switch 2 cartridge?

If Marvelous can make their Rune Factory Switch 2 version cartridge can be played on Switch 1 machine, that means they are able to get the right size of the cartridge without using the 64 GB size Switch 2 cartridge.
Nintendo should keep providing Switch 1 cartridge with smaller size 8 / 16 / 32 GB with swapped color of Switch 2 cartridge red color to provide 3rd party developers to sell their games properly with right size of cartridge.

I can see all parts of the argument here, and at the end of the day I much prefer physical games on cart - and Nintendo themselves seem to value this for their own titles. I think the point some people miss is that GKC’s have been welcomed and wanted by third parties so you can see why Nintendo support this option - it’s a fact that for too long Nintendo consoles have been the runt of the litter when it comes to big third party support and this needs to change. For me I’ll take the likes of the amazing Elden Ring physical or not at the end of the day. I think people also conveniently forget that a Blu-ray Disc only holds around 35gb of data and that due to average size of non indie games nowadays, PlayStation and MS have effectively had game key discs for years. All of my physical Xbox series X games literally involve a spin of the disc for a few seconds to trigger a massive download. There is literally nothing on the discs which is why I just stopped buying them. It’s bizarre that only Nintendo are getting singled out for this issue 😊

I can see 3rd parties leaving Switch 2 very quickly. Key cards won’t help and 3rd party games don’t do that well anyway on Nintendo hardware

@rjejr It's not that simple

I am not against digital games

But I am against BS like GKC.

If you as a publisher are willing to spend money on having your game be, put on a physical plastic cartridge, in a box, with printed text on the cover, shipped from the factory to many regions worldwide.

While the cartridge contains ONLY a verification key to DOWNLOAD the game.

Why waste money on doing that? Just go full on digtal, you don't waste any money on fake physical goods.

And if you are willing to bring out physically, do it properly.

And I know defenders will call out that "cartridges are 16 dollar each".

And I will not be claiming "well, I pay the difference to have that game physically", I would pay that but I am the minority.

No, Nintendo should have made more cartridge sizes instead, Switch had them in mutliple sizes from 1gb to 32gb (1,2,4,8,16,32).

Switch 2 is only 64gb, nothing more and nothing less.

So if anything I blame not only the publishers for wasting money on fake physical games (GKC), but I also blame Nintendo for doing this.

And it's not only GKC I complain about, I would do the same on PS5 and Xbox for doing fake physical games, however on those systems that is not by design (GameKeyCard is made by Nintendo on purpose).

On PS and Xbox the blu-rays are so dirt cheap that some companies just put a download key to download the game, because you have to install the game anyhow, the games are not read from the disc while playing compared to 2000s.

Switch does read directly from the cartridge so that benefit is still there.

Anyhow GKC or blurays with download keys are same thing for me, I wouldn't buy them because they don't make sense to own.

I rather get a game digitally then if physical is not a option, problem in my and my partner case is that we are gamers that game on all systems, but mostly Nintendo and PC, and we tend to pick some games on Switch mainly because you can play them portable and because the are physical.

Now that the second thing will be less common on the Switch 2 because of GKC, there is a higher chance we will rather get some games on PC instead, unless we REALLY want to play it in portable.

(and I don't mind the Switch 2 it's poor quality screen, I have seen worse than that)

Now as a bonus, what makes GKC even worse is that the games are larger because Switch 2 can handle more, but we get only 256gb and the memory cards Switch 2 uses are pricey and (at this moment) have poor availability.

No idea how the situation is on Xbox (our last Xbox was the 360), but on PS5 you can get a cheapo 1TB PCIE 4.0 SSD for peanuts and upgrade it that way (just checked, they start at 55 euro without and 70 euro with a heatsink for 1tb, Switch 2 memory cards are 60 euro for 256gb and there are no bigger ones here yet)

So on Playstation you could upgrade the storage for cheap (we don't need to, we uninstall games when we finish playing them)

Hitman and Street Fighter 6 are already around half of your Switch 2 storage, and those sizes will not be a exception when more 3rd party games come out on Switch 2.

And while Switch 1 had only 32gb of storage (64gb on OLED), memory cards for that are cheaper and physical games are often for the most part fully on the cartridge.

At this point, how stupid it may sound.

I wish the Switch 2 was digital only, I could accept that a bit more (I would still hate it compared to physical games) than the whole clown show the game key cards are... the fake physical media.

I like how not a single fella in here is worried about long term preservation of these games, when nintendo will inevitably shut down the servers to download said "digital only", "download only" games. Oh and also how good are nintendo on providing their old games for a repurchase?

I shall never support key cards full stop!

@Anti-Matter Marvelous explained that a while ago to someone on reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NSCollectors/comments/1l8upv6/marvelous_statement_about_rune_factory_switch_2/?share_id=oTB9ZzFvGMNySWjdiUdTU&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

@MasterGraveheart "the next question is: What's the cost difference between a 64GB card and a Game Key Card."

Nobody truly knows the price of the GameKeyCard, but I have seem some people on Discord claim it should be around "half the price" of the regular 64gb cartridge.

This because the only difference is that the real cartridge has 64gb of NAND flash, while the GKC has less than 100mb for the key, all the other cost are same.

But no real proof about GKC as of yet.

Talking about Switch 2 cartridges, Nintendo went cheap and ditches the Macronix Rom NOR flash technology used in Switch 1 cartridges, they use now NAND Flash.

The difference? Cheaper for Nintendo, also the latter can lose data over time (roughly 10 years) if you don't use it, so at some point sealed game copies will lose value a lot the moment you unseal them, because there is a chance the cartridge will not even work.

Switch 1 are double that, but still nothing compared to true MaskROM from the old days.

Yeah, sorry, I'll stick to digital downloads instead. Game key cards be damned.

@Rayquaza2510
I want to ask.
How to tell if PS5 games using disc key from their physical games cover?
Does it have small text like REQUIRED DOWNLOAD?
And what about REQUIRES CONTENT DOWNLOAD from My Time at Sandrock PS5 physical version case?
Is this REQUIRES CONTENT DOWNLOAD from My Time at Sandrock = game key?

I searched the wrong format, my bad, there still isn't really proof that smaller sizes would be cheaper to manufacture at speeds compatible with Switch 2 games so as much as my example was wrong I still think its irresponsible to report as fact that Nintendo is withholding options without having any evidence it would be cheaper to produce or more affordable to publishers.

@Anti-Matter hard to tell, I have seen games claim they need a download on the box, but the game was fully there minus a day one patch.

And I have seen games that don't say anything and download everything instead.

But considering the game has to install anyhow on the PS5 and XSX, most people are fine with that (I am not, but considering we rarely buy PS5 games that is not such a huge issue for us)

@BBBBBBBBBBB Switch 2 cartridges are NAND flash, same thing used in many other type of memory cards.

So now new magical technology here.

If game key cards are not selling, they will revise that strategy. Simple as that. Don't buy game key cards folks!

@anoyonmus well, it's not an option, it is mandatory, digitally. An option would be physical. This is digital and digital in a cart. Not much of a difference. You're pretty much screwed if nintendo closes down the shop or the game gets removed.

I'd happily pay a bit extra if a cart contained the full game and also some extra empty room that can be written to.
That way, all updates to games can be written to that part of the cartridge. Then it wouldn't take up space in the internal memory AND the cart contains a fully up-to-date game. If Nintendo goes bankrupt for some reason and all servers are down: you still have the complete game with all updates available.

Also in places where there is no internet, eg. on the go I can easliy lend my game cart to a friend who is setting next to me, but the day 1 patch can't be downloaded then obviously.

I know this might be a bit more expensive, but I would really like this.

As for the key-carts: same as code-in-a-box, I dislike both of them. But if games are only available that way, then I will buy them that way.

@MrGawain Not about confidence, IMO, it's about highlighting their product. They have this high value mentality for their IPs. New, BOTW game costs the same today as in 201. Using carts for all their first party; whereas third party publishers use download codes on empty carts just adds that "crème de la crème" quality to their games.

To me, they are testing. People will eventually give up. I'm curious about hoy long will nintendo maintain Switch, and Switch carts. Publishers will start putting S1 carts on S2 boxes, if nintendo allows this.

@Rayquaza2510
You are already doing it here-
"I am not twisting his words, but it is the only logical conclusion to "Don't like them? don't buy them!"."
Which really didn't take long.

You are choosing to twist the meaning for it to be in your eyes sell the Switch 2, or whats the point in it (then very quickly stating a reason why to have the Switch 2 which then invalidates your ultimate point), which is not the case, he is talking about GKC only.
Don't like, don't buy, is very accurate.

I also referenced and replied specifically to your part about buying less games due to GKCs....

You are promoting valid points, but he was never saying sell your Switch 2, again, you have twisted it to be that due to your various reasons.

As for this -
"So no, you read wrong what I meant, so this is my more dumbded down explanation."
I cannot read wrong what you meant if you had already twisted the interpretation thus not made it clear, an I also cannot read wrong something that isn't there or explained which is why you then decided to write more explainign yourself.
You jumped to conclusions and assume what you believe is what everyone can see, to clarify your point so normal people can make sense of what you are trying to get at, you "dumbed down" when infact what you did was explain yourself so people could actually understand your incorrect point as again, he was referencing GKCs, you twisted it to mean far more.

@Rosona Then sorry I can not explain it any better, if you are so fixated on telling me I twist their words.

Then there is little I can do about that, your opinion.

@Rayquaza2510 respectfully, what on earth are you talking about?

If you want to play a game that is only available digitally but don't want to buy digital then you've got to cave in on one of those. It's not rocket science, you either stick to your 'no digital purchases' guns and play something else you can buy a physical copy of, or you give in and buy the game digitally. Nothing involves you selling your Switch. What a ridiculously massive leap of logic to make and then say.

Key cards are just providing you another option. Them not existing doesn't suddenly magic into existence the full game on a card. They exist as an interim for those developers/publishers who are not paying to put their game on a full card. If this cheaper option wasn't available to them, they'd just make it digital only and you're back to your initial dilemma.

Printing games to a card is expensive, many smaller games may not be able to afford to do it. Some bigger games might not fit on a standard card and then a custom card gets even more expensive. Then there are third parties who don't have a good track record with selling on Nintendo who don't want to invest heavily into printing full cards. Whatever the reason, it's moot. They wouldn't be putting the full game on a card for the same reason they have opted to go for the key card.

At least the key card gives you more automony over what you then do with the game. A digitial download, or a code in a box, don't give you that, even with Nintendo's virtual card system.

Sure in an ideal world all games would get full physical releases, but that hasn't ever been the reality. It's just before if a developer couldn't afford to put their game on a, say N64 cartridge, we just didn't get the game on N64. Or they'd have to sell all the rights to a bigger publisher that was willing to pay for it, which is why there are several older IPs that have never come back because they are in legal ownership hell.

So again. If you don't like the key card. Don't buy it. If you don't like digital only games, don't buy them. There are plenty of other games to play and you don't need to throw away any consoles to play them.

@Dr_Lugae I think Nintendo probably could have controlled it, actually. They could disallow key-cards for games that would fit within 64 GB. Heck, they could mandate that 64 GB of a game be on the cart in those cases. They could also lower the price of full game carts for third parties. Possibly they could offer smaller cart sizes (though possibly they would be no cheaper to produce, which would explain the one cart size). They’ve got lots of options.

To this date, no one could really explain what's so devilish and bad about gamekey cards. 🤷‍♂️

@Ogbert "Key cards are just providing you another option"

Going to try this only once, because for some reason I still think you miss the point massively.

They are a option for people that don't care or don't mind lack of physical media.

GKC do not contain a physical game, they download it based on the verification key on the cartridge.

Because of that they are not a option for people that want a game to be truly physical.

(the following is not meant to who I was replying to)

AND BEFORE SOMEONE STARTS ABOUT "SO YOU NEVER BUY DIGITAL GAMES".

That was not the point

Point is that digital games are digital games

True physical games are just that

And GKC are digital games trying to act like a fake physical one, they cost less to make than physical games, more than purely digital one, but have only one small benefit, you can put the box on your shelf.

I just rather see a developer drop any type of physical cartridges if they even get the idea to waste money on something fake like GKC, go full physical or go full digital (or do both), but don't do this kind of BS.

@Rayquaza2510
Do you have a breakdown of the memory speeds between old and new carts though? Because if MicroSD express is need for the internal memory to properly power games and that is essentially high speed MicroSD then it's likely that the NAND is higher speed than normal to support modern games.

IGN even mentions the new carts have upgraded speeds
https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-switch-2-gets-upgraded-red-game-cards-and-microsd-express-storage-support

So while my example was admittedly completely wrong to directly prove that smaller game cards aren't feasible I still don't think it's right to assume this is an arbitrary decision on Nintendo's part and not likely due to a similar issue with MicroSD Express where manufacturing cards smaller than a certain size just isn't feasible cost wise.

I can't find exact numbers on the differences in read and write speed but I am pretty sure you couldn't get Cyberpunk on the type of cart that SW1 used.

@LastFootnote I don't think nintendo are in the position to bargain like that though. I think the key cards are the bargaining chip to get these third parties on board.

The last time they had big third party games like this at launch was the WiiU where we got Assassin's Creed, Arkham, Madden, Call of Duty, Darksiders and Tekken. And we all know how that went down. I don't know how well the streaming games have gone on Switch, but they are inherently limited by their reliance on fast, stable internet.

Nintendo do their own thing but they still want the big third party developers to show up. more so than ever with the Steam Deck being a thing. But why would they all pay for their games to be on cards if their track record with Nintendo systems is bad? Nintendo needs to entice them and this is a better deal for them, plus it could help smaller studios AND it does give the consumer more rights, the same as a physical copy really.

They could have maybe done deals where they paid for the first run or took on half the cost, but why take those extra burdens and risks if you have this system that solves things for you?

Besides, you play a game on Xbox sX or PS5 these days, you have to download half the game anyway. It's unfortunately very normal elsewhere.

They can try to shill it all they want. Key carda are the worst of both worlds. I said it numerous times, key cards should be a cheaper alternative to physical releases but not the only option.
That being said I somehow started supporting the idea of key cards cause I will save a lot of money by not buying them.

@BBBBBBBBBBB much faster NAND does exist for less money.

So Switch 2 carts being faster is not why they are more expensive.

As for MicroSD Express format, it was near dead because nobody in the professional world (what it was meant for) did care about it, that is why we have so little choice, because nobody wanted to invest in a inferior format if there are better and faster solutions, that do the same thing.

But while I don't see Nintendo drop the cartridge price (because Nintendo), the MicroSD Express cards will get cheaper at some point now that Switch 2 is using them.

You could argue Switch 2 pulled MicroSD Express from it's coffin before that one was closed.

@Ogbert true, but gamekey cards also highlight the main problem that SW2 still has, storage. This will get better once larger SD-cards become available but it remains a valid criticism. If you are going to use a format (gkc so basically digital storage) that demands large storage space, at least provide a decent option. I'm not a fan of switching SD-cards. Why not give the option to add SDD-drive in docked mode with an extension of their virtual cards system so users can swap stored games without having to constantly download them again when storage on SW2 becomes sparse.

@Rayquaza2510 Nah I get what you're saying but it's just not a valid point.

Your whole "but I don't want it" doesn't mean it's not an option, it is still very much an option it's just one you are choosing to ignore because you want something that doesn't exist and likely never would have existed.

It's moot. It's a pointless thing to keep arguing for because it's fictional. It's like going into a McDonalds and yelling that the menu is blank because you wanted spaghetti which is a thing they don't serve and therefore all the burger options are simply not there!

@kmtrain83 Only benefit of having a physical game be fully on disc with Playstation 4 and 5, and XBO and XSX is that you have the game on disc, even if the servers go down.

The game must install, Blu-ray discs have pretty slow read speeds, even on PS4 such game had faster read times after being installed on the hard drive.

Even worse with PS5, the SSD in that thing has read speeds of above 5500MB/s (the blu-ray in PS5 has a read speed of around 29MB/s)

So installing the game is mandatory.

Cartridges on both Switch 1 and 2 are fast enough to be read directly from it, you don't need to install the game if the game is fully on the cartridge.

So the benefit of that is that you save space by going physical on Switch 1 and 2.

@ktej75 All consoles have a storage problem, it's very expensive and the reality is the average consumer probably wont fill it, so why waste money and resources there?

But equally I'd say a bit part of the issue is a lot of these games have overly bloated file sizes because taking the time once the game is made to optimise and reduce the size is a thing not many studios are afforded the time to do. Nintendo do it but that's likely out of necessity from having to work on more limited systems.

@kmtrain83 exactly, installing from the CD is still a 100% physical offline format I support, whenever that's actually the case with PS5 games.

@Killercrab PS5 and Xbox series X have BDXL drives, which can support discs up to 128gb capacity. Some games come on two discs. Around 75%-80% of PS5 games can be played with no update. Some discs are short of some data, but the concept that PS5/PS4 discs are all keys is flat out wrong.

Why don't Nintendo just create smaller sized carts? Putting a small 8gb game, on a 64gb cart is just an insane waste of money.
Idiots...

Okay Nintendo, if you want third party support go for it, but I will not support you or a third party company if you try to sell me a game key card. I only buy full physical releases.

@Ogbert in other words, you don't agree but don't want to admit it.

Fine by me, opinions exist.

Facts too.

P.S. you deliberately picked that McDonalds example

So now I will deliberately comment on that with same type of nonsensical comment.

GameKeyCards is someone going to McDonalds and wanting regular cola (true physical game), but they only sell diet/light (digital game) or cola cola life ones because "reasons".

Their claim is that Cola Life is same thing, because there is sugar in it.

But also sweetners... so flavour wise it is same as light/diet, but more unhealthy because of sugar.

GKC is coca cola life, it pretends to be a normal cola (physical game) but it has sweetners and doesn't taste like regular cola (it downloads the game, there is no game on the cartridge)

(for people that don't know what cola cola life is, google it because it is a ridicoulusly stupid product)

Of course in real life they sold all 3 variants (at least here)

(Cola Cola Life is discontinued for reason btw, it flopped)

Coca Cola Life doesn't make any sense just like GKC don't.

Regular cola has it's flavour because it uses only sugar (in europe) but is more unhealthy because of that, and coca cola light/diet doesn't have any sugar, has it's own flavour and has nearly zero calories

Cola Cola Life has both, it is unhealthy like the regular one, but has the flavour of light/diet.

Just pick regular or diet/light then.

But Nintendo insists that Cola Life is the same thing.

(sigh)

Difference is that above is a stupid comment on purpose, GKC does exist, real cartridges do too, and digital games are a thing to stay.

Nintendo could make the cartridges cheaper, or give different file size variants, because not all games need 64gb cartridges.

(sigh again)

dude we already knew that. just go find the pot of cartridges at the end of the rainbow and distribute them for free so we can all shut up about this

I guess I don't really understand the need to make these things at all? It's like a code in a box. Either do it right, or don't bother at all.

@Rayquaza2510 PS5 games come on 4K blu-ray discs, not standard blu-rays. The read speed varies between 72/144MB per second, depending on the disc, and the discs are either 50/75/100gb. I'm guessing you don't buy 4K movies on disc, since 35MB per second wouldn't be enough for just the video, let alone the sound.

@MegaChem The "bonus" of being able to share game keys, is something you could do with a physical game just as easily. Why not just have an actual physical cart?

@Ogbert As if people haven't been lending or selling actual physical games for decades.

@Rayquaza2510 Wow you really don't understand at all? My friend, we are not saying the same thing, not even close. It's ok that you don't understand what I'm saying, you're clearly not going to. Good luck...in... everything I guess.

No convincing needed here. I simply don't want them. I'm a physical collector, if they don't offer most games as physical on cart purchases anymore, I'm simply not buying them.

@Rayquaza2510
In the same form factor that would be compatible with Switch 1 so they can maintain backwards compatibility?

I can't find specific info on SW2 card specs, but even if you have that info I am pretty sure they don't have pricing on what it costs to manufacture SW2 carts specifically.

As far as bringing MicroSD Express back from the grave, I don't think that's super relevant. They chose a factor that worked for them knowing the downsides. You saying they pulled it from the grave doesn't do anything to prove that Nintendo definitely had cheaper options they choose to skip over when it comes game cards.

People can't even come up with a reason why Nintendo would do this besides wanting all the smaller carts for themselves (pretty nonsensical) or them being greedy and choosing an expensive format makes them money somehow?

Nintendo bad or greedy is the only reasoning people have and there isn't enough benefit in them choosing this for that to be a good reason either, clearly you have made your mind up though so we don't need to continue this back and forth, I won't be convinced until I see solid proof and not just "I've seen cheaper, faster memory" available" with no evidence for what it would cost for Nintendo to manufacture that.

I just hate this ongoing narrative that Nintendo is purposefully withholding some cart size without a real reason that has zero evidence and wish that the website itself could avoid engaging in hearsay. They also said maybe review bombing isn't so bad if it gets Nintendo's attention the other day. I just really hate this rumor and hearsay based "news" going on recently because there are very few places that focus on Nintendo news and even the writers have to feed into unsupported narratives people pass around when new sites are supposed to exist entirely to do more research and not make baseless speculation.

with StopKillingGames quickly approaching the target, good luck with that Nintendo

Shipping games on fast flash storage is too expensive, particularly as games get larger. I suspect both Nintendo and the publishers are very happy with this approach. It also appeases some (not all) consumers as they can sell the game at a later date.
I fully expect Sony to embraces this same model on their next console(s) rather than providing an optical device.

I also strongly suspect CDPR got preferential treatment as a premier 3rd party launch title (i.e. Nintendo supplemented the cost of the card).

Although I am 99% physical games and would prefer to see physical games in the next 20 odd years being sold, I'm wishing for something that will more than likely no longer be. Digital is here and will one day in the not to distant future take 100% of games on sale. It is inevitable.Thankfully I have my retro consoles with a huge backlog of games. And who knows, like vinyl, who's to say they might not come back in some shape or form? I will enjoy my physical games while I can and enjoy the times I had having an actual game in my hand.

@Rayquaza2510 "we are gamers that game on all systems, but mostly Nintendo and PC"

How many games are still available physically on PC that are able to play without playing them digitally? When you get your PC games physical do they play off of the disc or do you have to install them first? My kids game a lot on their laptops but neither even has a disc drive even if they wanted to buy physical games.

Game key cards are better than digital codes in several scenarios.

1. Borrowing from my library, where I get to play a lot of games for free.
2. Gifts b/c boxes are easier to wrap than codes.
3. Trading with friends.
4. Selling them.

Would having the game all on cart be better? Yes. Do all 3rd party games fit on 64GB carts? No. Is it better to have a game on Switch 2 on a key card as an option than only digital? Yes,for the 4 reasons stated above.

Nintendo is doing what the 3rd parties wanted, and also what some people would rather have than just digital. It's a win, the glass is more than half empty it half full, it's like 60% full.

So , in theory , studios can put there infinite many games - this open up new opportunities to sell for eg. Lego collection made from 6 , 7 or 8 games , right ? Question is will there be enough buyers - when the price is ok , why not ?

@rjejr Totally agree .

Frankly, as much as I dislike the idea of game-key cards - though I consider them a step up from a code in the box - I'm also getting tired of the $41T stirring every other day about them.

I've decided I'll get any third party GCK Switch 2 only releases on PC when I have a capable machine. Sure, it'll be all digital, but at least the storage solutions are more affordable. I have toyed around with buying a PS5, but I admittedly don't have enough free time to throw in another platform.

@Ogbert
Exactly. Any GKC game I buy personally for my S2 will be a digital purchase and most likely I'll wait for a sale.

@MegaChem
I'm definitely fine buying them for the kids to share when the inevitable S2 Lite drops in a couple holidays.

"We introduced the Game-Key Card because game file sizes are larger on the Switch 2 compared to the Switch 1."
Bruh, that's why I want normal game cards, so my internal storage isn't maxxed out day 1.
Updates are big enough on their own!

@MegaChem Most people posting comments on this story will be doing so from the perspective of a consumer, not a corporation or an investor. Why should I care about Nintendo's or third-parties' margins? Nintendo is one of the richest companies in Japan.
If you need to exclude physical games to argue an advantage for game keys over digital, you just don't have a valid argument? Who is it beneficial to, then? All the Nintendo gamers who switched to digital, but now would switch back to game keys so they could trade their games in? This is a phantom group that doesn't exist.

@Zuljaras If 1 and 2 were both true, then there would be no such thing as a used game store. The fact that used games stores exist disproves the idea that people dont care about the ability to resell them. I value my ability to resell my physical games, even if I don’t ever plan on doing it.

@WhiteTrashGuy Ok, you are entitled to buy digital only and wait for a sale. that's fine.

I'm just saying key card is an option that gives you a bit more flexibility than a digital download. You don't have to choose it, but they are an option and that's all they are.

People are loosing their heads over this getting upset that they even exist because they want a fourth option that isn't available, never will be and wouldn't be even if this option wasn't there. It's just silly.

@kmtrain83 Gameplay was fine. The issue came when jumping between games. I don't just play one game for the day, I play a bunch. And many of those are on cards, so, the inconvenience of losing my card slot to play what amounts to a digital game is a huge detriment to me. For example, I'll do my daily run in Animal Crossing (both on cards), then play some of my daily digital games like My Hero Ultra Rumble and Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, then move on to wanna play whatever game(s) I'm working on at the moment, which include Cyberpunk 2077 and Street Fighter 6. Cyberpunk is a physical edition for me, but SF6 is the GKC. If SF6 is installed on the system as if it were a digital copy, why am I bothering with a physical card?

What would make the GKCs more bearable is if you only had to have it installed, say, once a week or two weeks as something of an authentication check-in, then be able to keep the slot free after. It wouldn't be great, but to have that convenience of the freed up card slot would be huge for me.

It is a double edged sword. If they made different size cards, some developers of larger games would buy the smallest one possible then force you to download the rest of the content.

@Zuljaras I find it hard to believe that the majority of people reselling games are reselling because they didn’t know what they bought. Some people buy games, play through them, and then resell them to finance their next game. I’m not one of those people, but they exist, either because they don’t care about collecting the game and just want the experience it provides, or because money is tight and it’s how they can afford new games.

Regardless, my point still stands. People value the ability to resell their games, as proven by the fact that used game stores exist. Game Key Cards are an improvement over simply having a code in the box because of the flexibility it provides. I agree that cartridges with the full game on them are preferable, but is it really that big a deal? If you don’t like them, don’t buy them. If the sales of game key cards are low enough, they will switch to full game on cart.

I know these comment boards don't solve the world's problems, but it's still incredibly frustrating to see how many people defend this billion dollar company who rakes in record breaking profits like it's their job. For fans of the Nintendo product to be disappointed in the ways that Nintendo spits in our faces repeatedly is completely understandable if you can take one second to stop caressing your Nintendo logo tattoo.

Yes we can just not buy the product if we don't like it. We all know that, you're not saying anything interesting or profound. The point is that it's still very disappointing to watch our lifelong hobby slip away due to corporate and investor greed. Everyone can still be happy here, but one side refuses to participate. Nintendo and these publishers/developers can still do gangbusters while also supporting physical media that has always been a backbone to Nintendo's strategy.

And if you do want to go all digital and you're pushing it this hard, stop raising prices and claiming it's due to tariffs or whatever other market conditions you want to blame. If everything goes all digital, games shouldn't ever exceed $40 brand new because there's next to no overhead. But of course, that'll never happen. They want the best of every scenario possible while expecting all of us to just take it in stride. And if you can't understand how that can be difficult to accept, you're being absurd.

I can ignore Game Key Cards completely (and I do) but what I can't ignore is the super annoying Virtual Game Card system Nintendo introduced. THIS is really punishing customers for no reason. I have Day 1 Switch 1, OLED Switch 1 and Day 1 Switch 2 and I'm using them all (my household at least) and this system is just a pain where the sun not shines.
This had to be said because nobody seems to complain but me. I call me a Nintendo fanboy since decades (yes - I'm a bit old) but the direction the company moves does worry me indeed. (Price bump of 33% (talking about games not hardware), Virtual Game Cards, Game Key Cards, back to LCD from OLED (display is OKisch but just compare with your OLED and everybody can see it can't keep up with it in the slightest),...)
I'd really like to see an article on this website that adresses all these issues (autoplaying the videos in the eShop - WTF!?!). I like my Switch 2 for the performance bumps of the games I already had. But not all is good in Nintendo Land. Not at all.
Game Key Cards are really the smallest problem of them all. Because they can (and should) just be ignored.

The problem comes when Digital or Code-in-Box cost as much as MSRP for Physical you have to ask why is that? eShop is akin to Code-In-Box and is tied to the NSO account they were redeemed on the account with. There is no separating the two they both are Digital and tied to the Nintendo account that redeemed them. They haven't said why or what is the cost to make a 32g cart or 64g cart for Switch 2. They make it so hard to just see the price as they couldn't just add the physical cart price of Switch 2 games to the MSRP??? No they can convince the Publisher it's in their best interest because if you give customer either a "Key-Card" or "Full" physical then they can make the choice and charge accordingly. Was it that hard? If they want us to go "Key-Card" why does it cost as much as a Physical cart game? There is no middle man to sell the game at that point.

Keep in mind that physical games these days are almost never complete on cart/disc.
Playstation and Xbox discs never has the full game data. An enormous amount of extra download data is always required to complete the game data.
Nintendo is one of the last console makers to give close to truly physical options. But even then... every game nowadays have patches or updates, which you will need to download digitally.
True physical games in their final state is a thing of the past. For over a decade most games has been released with day-1 patches and/or additional patches post release.
So in the sense of game preservation, that ship sailed a long time ago. If you have the download space on external drives/sd cards/usb sticks to store the updates/patches, then a game-key card would serve the same purpose for you in 20+ years as a card with physical game data on it. Therefore this option is lightyears better than code-in-a-box or digital purchases.

@Killercrab

The PS5 uses UHD Blu Rays (essentially quad layer Blu Rays originally developed for 4K movie releases) with 100 gigs of storage. The Series X can also read UHD Blu Rays but Microsoft ships physical games in traditional dual layer 50Gig Blu-rays. Mainly because MS, until recently, was still fully supporting the Xbox One with physical game releases and the VCR XBONE can’t read UHD Blu Rays. Matter of fact, it wasn’t uncommon (I know Elden Ring was released like this) for the XBOX One version of a game to be on the disc, while the disc acted as a key for the Series versions of the game. The later revisions of the XBONE can read UHDs. But Microsoft has mostly depreciated physical media on its platforms. Most games are essentially keys for the download at this point.

On PS5, most games are still fully shipped on the disc. That’s not applicable to all games; call of duty games are literally disc keys. And chances are this is going to change over time since Sony is aiming to depreciate physical media for the PlayStation family, but have been slower at it than Microsoft because Microsoft’s user base got very tied to Gamepass very fast. Sony’s PS Plus Extra has had a much smaller impact on consumer spending habits. But I suspect the PS6 will either be digital only or physical games will all be disc keys.

One interesting thing about Blu Ray though is that technically you can layer it 16 times in the specification. They’ve prototyped 400 gig Blu Rays before in the past. But there’s not really a demand for a disc with that kind of storage space so they haven’t been produced.

I can see my self not buying that many games on switch 2
I prefer physical all the way
I have a lot of games on switch 1 on carts
On the up side I won't have to spend much this time around.

I keep seeing people say that if Nintendo didn't offer key cards, they'd just have people doing a code in a box. I have two problems with this.

First is that it ignores the obvious possibility of Nintendo offering cheaper carts, either by producing smaller storage sizes or even just letting third parties use the Switch 1 cart format for Switch 2 games that don't particularly need faster loading speeds.

And second, as far as I'm concerned, a key card is worse than a code in a box. At least with the latter you get all the benefits of a digital purchase along with some kind of physical representation of the game you bought. Key cards give you all the drawbacks of digital and physical with the only benefit being resale value, which is completely irrelevent to anyone planning to maintain their library.

Game key cards are dumb. I’ve said this numerous times. It gives you the worst points of both physical and digital. Only real thing going for it is that the game isn’t tied to your account so you can resell and trade the game with no issues.

But if you don’t do that, the key cards are really really stupid.

@Anachronism

I’m not real sure why Nintendo couldn’t just allow Switch 1 cards for Switch 2 games where the load times wouldn’t be terrible. Same thing with the SD cards. They should have allowed the console to read the older SD cards at least for Switch 1 games. On PS5 you can play PS4 games from a USB hard drive but you can only store PS5 games. You have to move it to SSD storage to play it. Nintendo could have done the same thing.

@Trikeboy yep, the smaller cards would only benefit people making smaller games, and these big software companies are already notorious for being really tight on the size of storage they use...

@WiltonRoots

Like 2K. “We are going to use a 4 gig card to literally hold the title screen for our 90+ gig basketball game. Rest has to be downloaded.”

A possible solution...

Nintendo could, say, offer to subsidize costs of all phyical games that are 20GB or less by 30% and games 21GB and up by 15-20%. The logic is the larger sized games are typically charging more ($60+) and wouldn't require as much of a discount to recoup profits from card costs.

This would help cover the costs of using a physical card and incintivize publishers to actually use physical instead of game-keys.

Sure you make a little less off each sale but what's better? Selling 5k copies of a Game-key card or 50k+ copies of a subsidized physical card? If this is truly an issue for consumers and sales begin to suffer then Nintendo and Publishers would be incredibly stupid and short-sighted to not do SOMETHING to rectify the situation.

@OrtadragoonX Yep, pretty much that. I wouldn't be surprised if other cart sizes come out down the line...just have to wait and see I suppose.

"We introduced the Game-Key Card because game file sizes are larger on the Switch 2 compared to the Switch 1"

Fair enough point on one hand. But now we need larger internal storage for all the downloaded games. Physical Switch 1 games save space because you only needed to store updates and DLC on your internal storage. I assume that's how it works on Switch 2 as well, I don't have one to check. I think this point gets lost in all the other discussions.

They really thought they could ease us into a digital future, and GKC feels like a midway point. All it did was convince me to buy a ps5. The 3ds eshop closure, denial of joycon drift and GKC. There could be a day Ill spend my money elsewhere, Nintendo.

For those who don't care about collecting, please don't be dismissive jerks to those who do care. It's obviously an existential issue for them.

@FirMatt A True HomeBrew/Hacker exposes themselves. Hackers whom have their wits don't come commenting on here to begin with. Your the reason why Nintendo does this to start with. How about you asking the Devs/Programmers whom created the game how they feel you stealing their games they created not the Publishers.

@fabiop You can have a main Switch system and one more Switch system to trade Virtual Game Cards between. You need to set it up in your account settings which one is the main device (likely your Switch 2), and then make sure the other Switch is Pass Enabled

However you have to stick to those two chosen consoles for at least a year, because the Pass Enabled console can only be changed once annually.

@WiltonRoots

I suspect 32 gig cards will turn up sooner or later. I doubt anything smaller than that will show up.

One thing is that a lot of this is influenced by the market price and availability of NAND storage chips, which Nintendo uses in the Switch cards for their capacity. At this point, the market has mostly standardized on 64 gigs for the smallest size. Chances are if you want something smaller than that, you’ve got to order them into production instead of just getting them off the shelf. I suspect Nintendo settled on 64 gig capacities right now because those are already in mass production and easier and cheaper to purchase. Other sizes probably requires special ordering.

So there’s a chance as the Switch 2 is more established Nintendo will get manufacturers to produce 32 gig capacity NAND at Switch 2 performance at a price Nintendo is willing to pay. But that’s just me speculating.

@Antraxx777 correct, and this is utter idiocy... no other company in the world does anything like this.
I have multiple devices and I switch netflix, amazon, apple music, spotify etc without any limit or issue. They might limit to a number of devices which makes sense, but the way Nintendo managed it is ridiculous

@Max_the_German switch 2 edition use 64gb switch 2 cart, rune factory use the same cart as mario kart world.
https://youtu.be/LAmlWuLdiaI?si=2hbaYZO-HYxaUyFc

@progx allkeyshop.com no they are not. Dont just look at steam prices. We have options on PC. Got oblivion remaster deluxe for $50 vs the $60 retail on steam. I got KCD2 Gold edition for $58 vs the $70 or $80 price(cannot remember retail price)

@fabiop Actually XBOX does something similar with Game Share.

@Antraxx777

Ultimately this comes down to how the console business has always worked. 1 gamer buys 1 copy of a game. When they are done with it, they sell it or give it someone else. The publisher doesn’t care about that part of it. They just care about that first purchase.

The whole idea of whole households having multiple consoles and wanting to share games between them wasn’t really accounted for in the old days. And with digital, the industry still firmly believes in the “1 game for 1 gamer” mind set. Thus they all make it super annoying or impossible to share games with friends, like you can with various streaming subscriptions. Because it’s fundamentally opposite of how they want things to function.

I honestly think that’s why some companies are pushing so hard (like Microsoft) for game streaming to become useable. At that point, from a business sense, you can move on from the “1 game for 1 gamer” mindset while still keeping your profit margin.

@electrolite77 I agree that the key cards are here to stay, just based on many comments here. Companies like Nintendo foam at the mouth when they get free defense representation in the Court of Public Opinion from those who willingly allow themselves to be raked over the coals. It's the absolute most perfect scenario for these massive corporations. Unfortunately, the benefits of it never trickle down any further than the share holders.

@kmtrain83

I don’t need everything instantly playable, but at these costs (higher console price, higher game prices), I do expect to have more storage. Especially when, generally speaking, cost for storage continues to decrease.

It’s not sustainable for everything to get so expensive without some additional value.

I suspect demand for 3rd party key cards games sold at retail will stay low at these prices. The market must react accordingly. Why would I buy Yakuza 0 for $80 CAD+, effectively digitally, when I can buy it on Steam for ~$10? General consumers aren’t stupid and only the few niche users who don’t have access to other platforms will be buying old games at full retail price. The outliers will be the Cyberpunks. The developers who put in extra effort and try to get the consumer who is interested in physical (niche) with all the bells and whistles will come out on top, because they understand their customers.

I also expect express SD cards will slowly drop in price by this time next year. Some publishers will react and avoid exclusively publishing key cards (physical). They won’t go away but it surely won’t be the only option at the store. I also expect physical game prices to eventually separate from digital / key cards. It just makes sense with more consumers going digital than ever before. Otherwise, there is very little incentive to buy a key card.

@Zeebor15 Are you trying to put words in my mouth? Your assumption is way off base. I am someone who thinks video games are being overcharged. As someone who can get most new games on pc for usually $20 or more off at launch through keyshops like cdkeys.com, or searching allkeyshop. Be careful making up stupid accusations.

@Elitepatriot I was saying that's the full version of how I PC game. If something if of no physical substance, than it is of no monetary value to me.

I recognize this is an example of both religous and philisophical extremism, but I play Xenoblade. I don't do anything half-way when it comes to my morals. And my morals tell me there's no substantive difference between booting a game through Steam or through the Pirate Bay.

Any PC games I have bought have been through GoG; and that was Gex

Even Nintendo was quick to clarify that Game-Key cards would not be used for 1st party titles; that makes it sound like even Nintendo considers the format to be inferior. After all couldn't they make EVEN more money by only doing Game-Key cards for everything?

@JJtheTexan
You summed it up perfectly right there.

If I sold or traded games I would be fine with the current state of physical on all systems. As I don’t and I am tired of all the increasing clutter let alone more furniture to store and house said clutter, I happily went digital with the switch 2. At this point I am too old for physical, and I am happy not to add to the pile. I love the virtual game cards as well. Makes swapping between systems easy.

I don’t plan to buy any game key cards. My PS5 give me a good option.

Ok, now that this nonsense is still a thing anyway, I also want to be able to convert digital purchases into game key cards and viceversa. You still need to have an internet connection to run them, don't you? So, what's the problem with using blank key cards? There are several digital games that suck so much that I'd like to resell them for 1 cent.

@Ogbert Until they aren’t an option. Like digital only releases.

@Anti-Matter Yes, I agree with you. The Legend of Zelda BOTW & TOTK Switch 2 edition use Switch 1 Cartridge. Nintendo just swap the cartridge color with red to make it looks like Switch 2 cartridge. if Nintendo can do it why can't the 3rd party do it

Key Card system is a foolish, greedy and stupid innovation. I hope it completely fails.

@kevhunt13 The Legend of Zelda BOTW & TOTK Switch 2 edition use Switch 1 Cartridge. Nintendo just swap the cartridge color with red to make it looks like Switch 2 cartridge.
Again more misinformation being spouted again. The chipset in the Switch 2 carts aren't the same as the Switch 1 games. So if your going to spout this give some hardware details and links to support this.

To those not liking "Key-Card" they do have the eShop Digital only version. Otherwise what's point of 70gb games to be had for and games are getting bigger so Digital only good as Internal or exSD storage space. So unless they give the users option to expand memory Digital storage only goes so far.

@Anti-Matter It says on the back that you need to put the disc in and download the game.

@Zeebor15 Ok, so you do that. I thought I was being accused lol. Personally I got no problem with people sailing the high seas. I try not too though. Expecially If I can buy the game, but some games you cannot buy these days. Donkey Kong 64/Diddy Kong Racing for example. Cough cough Skies of Arcadia....... Fur Fighters lol. I can go on.

@Elitepatriot https://youtu.be/GI6CfKcMhjY?si=rbLeuDJ3cRNEzoci

@Zeebor15 Classic.

Not that anyone is going to read this far, and I hope I'm not duplicating one of the infinitude of comments above.

Nintendo's presumed rule that publishers have to have the same MSRP for physical and digital caused so many issues, all meant to drive the market to the eshop where Nintendo gets a huge cut.

Publishers can use backwards compatibility to get around that and the game key card issue at the same time. A 20gb game could be sold for $40 on the S2 and S1 eshops with S2 owners not expected to buy it digitally on the S1 eshop. If a physical S2 card would require selling it at $60 which wouldn't be allowed, they could sell a S1 version on a 32gb card for $40 and then sell a $10 S2 upgrade pack. They would effectively have created a $50 S2 physical version.

Also, I don't see why the speed of the game loading is that important at lower file sizes. These cards are presumably more expensive because they have faster bus speeds or whatever. But that's not important for a 3gb game, hence Switch 1 games playing JUST FINE in Switch 2. Just sell lower speeds at lower sizes so that publishers have more options.

Switch 1 > 2 could end up being PSP > PS Vita and for the same reason.

I will not buy digital, I will not buy a code in a box, and I will not buy a hunk of plastic that doesn't actually have the game on it....which is exactly what the game "key card" bs are.
It's just that simple. Put the games on the carts. Hope the companies that don't, fail.

Maybe I'm missing something but....what happens when a game is more than 64GB? Like WWE 2K25 is apparently 70+GB. And it's a code in a box. I'd much rather have a game key card so I really don't get all the hate.