As you're doubtless well aware at this point, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is winging its way onto Switch 2 on 22nd January 2026, and we are super, super (add a few more supers) excited about it. Especially this writer, in fact, because he's managed to start the remake several times on other systems and has yet to actually finish it. Portable play will remedy this.
In the build-up to the release of the Switch 2 version of Square Enix's masterpiece, its director, Naoki Hamaguchi, has been chatting to German site JPGames (thanks for the heads up, Automaton) about those dreaded Game-Key Cards, and it seems he's of the opinion that they are a necessary evil, thanks to the a speed drawback with Nintendo's Switch 2 carts.
During the interview, Hamaguchi is quoted saying that, “Among developers, the discussion about the keycard format is perhaps a bit different to what fans maybe expect," pointing out that whilst the actual storage size of carts is important, it's the speed of loading high-end, AAA games and their huge assets that's the key issue.
"I think perhaps the biggest issue for developers, certainly for people like us who make high-end HD games, is the loading speed, because you compare that to the solid-state drive and the speed you can get from loading from that, it’s going to be inferior to that, it just has to be, that’s the way the media works, physically. So that’s the bigger issue, really, in terms of making games, making high-end games for the Switch 2, and what it allows, obviously, by doing a semi-download version of the game, you can then use the SSD and rely on that for that smoother loading. So that’s perhaps the bigger issue in terms of a developer."
Hamaguchi is careful to clarify that he understands gamers' reaction to the Game-Key Card solution. "I really get where people are coming from in terms of their negativity towards it," he says, "and there are good reasons and debates to have there."
We recently heard from a Star Wars Outlaws dev about how the use of Game-Key Cards for that stellar port helped with streaming assets, loading, and all of the benefits you'd expect from a faster storage and information-streaming system versus having that data transferred from a separate cart.
And so it would seem that, as far as Game-Key Cards go, and as much as Hamaguchi says he can sympathise with how players feel, the controversial 'physical' option will continue to be used as a necessary part of getting big Switch 2 games on store shelves. Be sure to check out the director's entire response at JPGames.de.
How do you feel about Game-Key Cards now that devs are airing their thoughts on how running the game off internal memory benefits the porting of AAA games? Has your opinion changed? Let us know below.