With Switch, Nintendo is currently offering the platform friendliest to physical game collectors, but the existence of game-key cards for Switch 2 has the holdouts from the supposedly inevitable digital future feeling nervous. For now, though, it seems Nintendo has no plans to abandon proper retail cartridges.
"In the immediate future, physical games are still a key part of our business," Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser tells IGN. "And we value our relationships in particular with our retailers, and want to make sure we have products available for them to sell to their consumers."
Technically, game-key cards do give retailers something to sell, but it remains to be seen if that's something players want to buy. Several industry figures have been outspoken about what game-key cards represent, calling them "disheartening" and saying that "we're losing some of what made the business special."
"When you look at Game-Key Cards," Bowser continues, "For us, our goal with Nintendo Switch 2 – similar to what we were able to accomplish on Nintendo Switch – is to have the broadest and deepest library of content we possibly can. And that includes our publishing partners. And Game-Key Cards are a way that our publishing partners are able to bring more content onto the platform, deeper and larger, more immersive content on the platform."
Game-key cards are certainly proving popular among third-party developers, as the vast majority of Switch 2 launch games not published by Nintendo are being released in this format. One exception is Cyberpunk 2077, and CD Projekt has suggested other publishers should "not underestimate the physical edition." Whether that warning means much in the end remains to be seen.
Here are the upcoming Switch 2 games you need to know about.
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