Nintendo reportedly asks Switch 2 owners what they think about its controversial game-key cards, and yeah, I don't think it'll be lacking in replies as players rally to "keep telling them how big b******t" they are

Nintendo's new game-key cards that have come to the Switch 2 are controversial to say the least. Confusingly, they're physical cards that are inserted into the console, but they only contain a permission that allows you to then download a game. The company has reportedly sent out a questionnaire in Japan asking gamers to tell it how they feel about the new commodity, and people aren't holding back.

An Automaton article (written in Japanese and translated via Google) has been posted to Reddit, and it states that the survey is asking Nintendo users for their honest feedback on the key cards – even if they have complaints.

The survey reportedly asks questions about the experience of using the new key cards, such as how satisfied players are with them and if they've experienced any inconveniences or concerns when using them.

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I can't read Japanese, and I don't trust Twitter's Grok translations, but there are plenty of English comments on Reddit to comb through – we may not have the survey in the West, but people are still keen to share their opinions.

Nintendo is conducting a questionnaire about the "key card" of Nintendo Switch 2. Seeking honest opinions, including dissatisfaction in Japan
from r/NSCollectors

"Just keep telling them how big bullshit key cards are," reads the top comment. "It'd be awesome if something came of this, key cards ain't it and I can only hope Japan tells Nintendo that en masse with this survey," replies another dissatisfied customer.

I can understand the frustration. For a while now, physical game boxes have sometimes come with digital download codes rather than actual game discs, and I hate it. This feels like an extension of that. A benefit of digital games used to be how easy they were to download. But now, with game-key cards, you need the physical item to install the software, as well as play it once it's been downloaded. So, you may as well just have a regular cartridge.

For now, check out all the best Switch 2 games you can play – will you get them physical, digital, or the secret third thing, game-key card?

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I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.