Why some Switch 2 carts won’t have games on them

One of the stranger details that came out of last week’s big Nintendo Switch 2 event was the existence of game-key cards. They won’t be used for all releases, but essentially they’re Switch 2 cartridges that don’t actually contain a game, but instead feature a “key†that’s used for “downloading the full game to your system via the internet.â€

As video games continue to shift away from physical releases, game-key cards understandably created some confusion among fans. I had the chance to ask Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser why they exist, and the answer was pretty simple: retail stores.

“In essence, it’s a digital game on a card,†he said. “What it’s beneficial for is for our publishing partners to be able to bring games to market that may be of a significant size, and therefore they may need too large a cartridge for that game. It allows them to sell those physical games at retail.â€

That makes a certain amount of sense, as retail stores are still a notable market for Nintendo in particular. Bowser also noted that, in an attempt to make the distinction between the Switch 2 and its predecessor more clear, the company is “working with our r …

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