Select Nintendo Switch 2 Physical Games Serve as “Download Codes” for Digital Versions

Certain physical Nintendo Switch 2 games will be digital downloads that use a new feature called Game-Key Cards, Nintendo has revealed.

Why a particular game may use a Game-Key Card instead of a regular Nintendo Switch 2 game cartridge is unclear, but a page on the Nintendo customer support page breaks down how it will all work. Information about the Game-Key Card system didn’t appear in the recent Switch 2 Nintendo Direct but instead appeared online via Nintendo’s website after the broadcast.

Unlike a regular physical game cartridge, Game-Key Cards don’t include game data but are instead a “key” that can be used to download and later access a particular game. The Game-Key Card is required even after that game has been downloaded and installed and is in many ways treated just like a normal game cartridge, minus the console actually running the game off it.

One note worth mentioning is that an internet connection is only required when booting up a Game-Key Card for the first time, after which the game can be accessed offline. However, the Game-Key Card will still need to be inserted into the Switch 2 console in order to access the digital game.

Games that are a Game-Key Card will be designated by a special white banner at the bottom of Switch 2 game cases, with a QR code that can be scanned for additional information. It’s unclear if downloading a Game-Key Card game ties it to whatever console it’s being used on, or if the Game-Key Card could be shared with a friend (or sold) and transferred to another system like a normal physical game cartridge.

While it’s still unclear why some games are Game-Key Cards instead of a normal cartridge, we know of at least one Switch 2 launch title that will be using the feature: Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster.

Game-Key Cards, unless they can be sold or given to others, aren’t entirely different from how Nintendo treats certain original Switch games that can be bought physically in a store but are in reality just digital download codes inside a case. Those games can also be played offline once downloaded but can’t be transferred to others, with the game instead tied to that specific account.

Game-Key Cards are not to be confused with Virtual Game Cards, a new system Nintendo is using for digital-only games on both the Switch and Switch 2. Virtual Game Cards are also treated as if they are physical games despite being digital, and can be shared with different accounts playing on the same Switch or members of the same Nintendo Switch family account via local wireless. Only one copy of a Virtual Game Card can be used at a time, meaning if a game is lent to a friend or family member, it will be inaccessible to the original owner, just as if they had physically let someone borrow the game. It’s unclear if a game accessed via a Game-Key Card can also be used as a Virtual Game Card.

Nintendo has shared all kinds of new details about the Switch 2, going more in-depth with the Switch 2 hardware and capabilities as well as some of the exclusive games coming to the console. The Switch 2 will launch June 5 for $450 with Mario Kart World as a launch title. A Switch 2 bundled with Mario Kart World will also be available, with preorders starting April 9. Other first-party Nintendo games scheduled to launch in 2025 for Switch 2 include a new Donkey Kong 3D-platformer and a sequel to Kirby Air Ride.