The Switch 2's controversial game-key cards prove to be a preservation nightmare as Japan's national library refuses to use them

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It's almost as if they are bad alternative to physical games

Photo by Rosalie Newcombe of a close-up of the Game-Key Card of No Sleep For Kaname Date sitting on its physical Switch 2 game box.
(Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

Japan's National Diet Library has said that Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards will not be eligible for preservation by the library.

As exciting as the Nintendo Switch 2 is, the third party game situation is a bit dire. Outside of rare cases like Cyberpunk 2077, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, pretty much every third party game on the platform has been released as either a code in a box or one of Nintendo's new game-key cards which act as a key to download the game from the eShop.

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An earlier version of this article included an error in the headline, which has since been corrected. The article otherwise appears as originally published.

Scott McCrae
Scott McCrae
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Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

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