All currently revealed third-party "physical" Japanese Switch 2 games will require downloads
It has been confirmed that all currently revealed Switch 2 games available for pre-order in Japan will be released on the new "Game-Key Card" cartridge, which serves as a key for a full digital download.
The details:
Following the Switch 2's full reveal earlier this month, Nintendo confirmed that some physical copies of games would not include a standard cartridge containing the entire game, and that it had introduced a new format, the Game-Key Card. Titles that use Game-Key Cards are clearly labeled, and the cartridge functions as a key, allowing players to download and play games digitally while retaining the ability to resell the game at a later date, as opposed to a one-time use code.
As reported by Gematsu, all non-Switch 2 Edition games available for pre-order in Japan now use Game-Key Cards rather than standard cartridges. This includes Street Fighter 6, Yakuza 0, and Sonic X Shadow Generations, with Split Fiction confirmed to contain a digital download code within a physical box. It's currently unknown if any of the games will still use Game-Key Cards in the West.
It's unclear how many publishers will use Game-Key Cards in the future, as CD Projekt Red previously confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 can be played entirely using a standard cartridge. Meanwhile, Switch 2 Edition upgrades for games are confirmed to contain updated versions of the original Switch 1 game on the cartridge, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
More gaming news:
Sucker Punch has confirmed that Ghost of Yōtei will be released in October for PS5.
Nintendo has warned that a "significant number" of Japanese fans will be unable to get their hands on a Switch 2 at launch due to a lack of stock.
