The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 has sparked some debate, mainly because the majority of third-party games announced for it won’t come fully loaded on traditional cartridges. Instead, they’re going with “game-key cards.”
When you pop one of these cards into your console, you’ll need to download the game onto your device. To play the game, the card has to stay in the console.
According to Nintendo’s website, these game-key cards differ from regular game cards because they don’t hold the complete game data. Instead, the card serves as your “key” to download the entire game via the internet. Once the game is downloaded, you simply insert the game-key card to start playing, as usual.
Some publishers, including Nintendo themselves, are opting to provide the entire game on a physical card. We’re committed to maintaining a list of these options to help you decide what to purchase.
We’ll keep this list as current as possible. If you notice any inaccuracies or have suggestions, feel free to reach out.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to hit stores worldwide on June 5, 2025, with prices set at £395.99 in the UK, €469.99 across Europe, and $449.99 in the US.