The Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially revealed to the world, and as more details emerge of the console there are more questions. The most important question was answered with the price of the Switch 2 costing $449.99 and some games reaching $79.99.
There is also strong third-party support for the Switch 2 launch, including games like Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII, and more. While some of these games will have physical versions, others will be digital and will have “Game-Key Cards”.
Switch 2 Game-Key Cards Explained
Game-key cards differ from standard game cards in that they do not contain the complete game data like traditional physical games do. Instead, a game-key card serves as your “key” to downloading the full game onto your Nintendo Switch 2 over the internet.
Once you have downloaded your game via the game-key card, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your console and starting it up like a standard physical game card.
The game is not included on the game key card, so you must download it before you can play the game. Once the card is inserted there will be instructions displayed on the Home Menu mentioning how to install the game and that an internet connection is required when you launch the game for the first time.
What Games Will Use Game-Key Cards On Switch 2?
Games that will have game-key cards at launch include Street Fighter 6 and Bravely Default. There are likely other third-party games that will go this route. However, Cyberpunk 2077 will have a 64GB cartridge at launch and will not be considered a game-key card, it will be like any other physical game you install on a Switch console.
Can I Resell Switch 2 Game-Key Cards?
The positive about the Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards is that it will allow you to resell the games and allows you to share the downloadable games. The game-key card is not tied to a console as it just unlocks the game for you.
On the box art for games that use key cards, there will be a disclaimer, as Nintendo pointed out, where it says “Game-Key Card”.
