Topic: Game-Key Card Boxed Release List

Also known as a physical collector's worst fear. Boxed cartridges with no game files included. The cartridge is just a permission check to download and play the game. These games should be purchased with the knowledge that they are in truth....digital-only.

Switch 2 Game-key Card List
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition
Shine Post: Be Your Idol
Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
Survival Kids

...Can't say I'm shocked about Street Fighter 6, but Bravely Default? My memory is foggy, but didn't SE fit the entire game on a 3DS cartridge before? In any case, that means I'm holding on to my 3DS copy.

I'm kind of disappointed about Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition, as I was looking to pick that up alongside Mario Kart World.

Capcom is known to do that for many of its games on the Switch 1 and Bravely Default is not exactly the most popular franchise.

That are the reasons I think they are opting for those releases. They know they are not going to break records in sales anyway, so this is a safe option for them.

Bravely Default is less than 2GB on 3DS. I dare say that they'll have upped the texture quality a bit for Switch 2 but I can't see the storage requirements having blown out to the extent that this was the only option.

I have never understood the appeal of these. I guess it is the best of both worlds for some that really like things on shelves, but prefer digital...but you are still stuck with it if you don't like it. Can't trade it in etc.

It will have Cartridge inside just no Game Files inside of it, you will trigger download after inserting it first time and besides that it will still function as normal Game Cartridge where you need insert it to play and can borrow/re:sell as well like usual, good example for that is PS5 Physical Games just only difference is you install games on PS5 and while in this case you need download all game files instead!:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/04/nintendos-switch-2-...
@Magician @Tyranexx @Lony85 @Zuljaras @Matt_Barber @Mana_Knight

@SViper Still I prefer to install it instead of downloading it. That way you "kind of" own those files on the physical copy. The servers are not going to last forever especially Nintendo servers.

And let's not forget that the Switch 2 has much smaller install drive than PS5.

They want to push this because people complained that you can't resell digital games. Which is the least of my worries when I buy games

@Zuljaras I too, but then they need make Cartridges to have more space in it, aka they already at least increase speed on those Cartridges especially for games that can fully fit in, which would increase Physical Games prices by another 10-30$/€ and prices are already like this for full priced games!:
Digitally 80$/€
Physically 80$/90€
So that would make prices for Physical Games between 90-110$/100-120€, so!

@SViper Actually I only see the Nintendo 1st party games costing 80 and 90. The others are 70 and below. I do not know where this came from that ALL games will be 80 and 90.

SF6 is 70, BD is 40.

@Zuljaras understood, but main point I used these prices to show how much they need increase prices for Physical Games to make Cartridges that have more space inside! xD

NGL - this key code thing is even worse than the prices. lmfao. not only do we NOT get the game on the card, we also get a big fat ugly label telling us we arent getting the game.

puts me kinda in a bad spot. on the one hand I dont wanna support this at all. on the other hand I dont wanna miss out on a must play title.

So I guess, moving forward, I will just stick with games on cards proper and buy everything else digitally - but only when there is a massive discount - just to spite this practice.

@Matt_Barber
It's 11 GBs. Square Enix is already acting like a cheapskate.

I just learned NS2 Cartridges is 64 GB, so both those games could easly fit in Cartridge cause one is 11 GB and another 50 GB!

@SViper

The Game-Key Card is the "maximum profit" option for publishers.

Between cartridge costs and tariffs, more than a few publishers are going to take this option over releasing a complete product. Unfortunately.

@Magician understood, but at least it's Cartridge just without game files inside and it's still works as the same as Cartridge aka re:sellable/re:usable and you need keep Cartridge inserted to play like always!

@SViper

Which is fine, and honestly a better system than a one-time-use Code-In-A-Box.

However, eventually the servers will be turned off, making the product useless. Granted that's twenty plus years down the road. But these Game-Key Cards aren't intended for longevity.

@Magician yeah, that's the scariest part here! xD

I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to tech and the like, and I know we don't really know that much about these yet, so I have to ask: do we know for a fact that these are reusable and resellable? If you buy one, can you put it in and download the game on every Switch 2 in your house like you could for a normal cartridge? And then resell it when you're done? Because often digital games/codes are one-time use. Obviously it would make sense to be able to do that or these are much worse than anything else available, but is it a given? Because I haven't heard anything official say for sure that that is how they work.

@Xyphon22 then how people re:sell PS5 games if they one time use cause then all used PS5 games are scams then. Another example all PS5 discs, all NS1 Cartridges already have that too just they have Game Files Inside as well. It literally says after downloading game it continues to function as regular Cartridge. Here is the NL article link with qoute again!..:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/04/nintendos-switch-2-...