News Nintendo Switch 2’s Game-Key Cards Won’t be Tied to Specific Nintendo Consoles or Accounts The Game-Key Cards will work like any other physical release of a Switch 2 game, which players can share or even sell as a used game. Posted By Joelle Daniels | On 08th, Apr. 2025 Among the many new things unveiled by Nintendo during and around its Switch 2-oriented Direct last week was its new Game-Key Cards initiative. Through this, the company seemingly aims to sell much larger games than would otherwise fit in a Switch 2 Game Card through physical channels. Nintendo’s Tetsuya Sasaki has confirmed that in a conversation with GameSpot that, despite the Game Card itself not including any data for the game, purchasing and using a Game-Key Card will not tie it to a Nintendo account or specific Switch 2 console. According to Sasaki, this means that Game-Key Cards will function like any other physical copy of a Switch 2 game. This also means that the Game-Key Card can be shared with other Switch 2 owners, and even be re-sold in the used games market. “So key cards will start up on the console or system that it is slotted into, so it’s not tied to an account or anything,” said Sasaki. For context, games released through the Game-Key Card will come in physical packaging like any other Switch 2 game. The Game Card itself will also have the red colour that Switch 2 Game Cards will have. Inserting a Game-Key Card into a Switch 2 basically has the console download the entire game from Nintendo’s servers. The card itself will not include any game data aside from the necessary DRM code that lets the console know that you own the game. It is also worth noting that, after having downloaded a game through a Game-Key Card, the card has to be inserted into the Switch 2 to play the game. Taking the card out will mean that the game will not be playable until the card is re-inserted into the console, much like a physical copy of any other Switch 2 game. Nintendo also points out through its support page that, aside from downloading the game, only the first launch of the title will require an Internet connection. While Nintendo hasn’t confirmed if any of the games it unveiled during the Switch 2 Direct will make use of Game-Key Cards for their physical release, the system has likely been put in place in advance for the ever-growing sizes of AAA game releases. While Nintendo’s own titles tend to make efficient use of space, third-party AAA games tend to be quite a bit larger. The upgraded specs of the Switch 2 over its predecessor might also lead to games needing more storage space. Since the upcoming console can push a much larger number of pixels thanks to its horsepower, various game assets like textures will likely end up being much larger so that they look good when played at 1080p or even 4K, and art assets, alongside audio, tends to make up the bulk of the storage that a game often requires. The Nintendo Switch 2 will be hitting store shelves on June 5. Pre-orders for the console have been put on hold for the time being as the company evaluates the effect the US tariffs will have on the market. Tagged With: Atomfall Publisher:Rebellion Developments Developer:Rebellion Developments Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Monster Hunter Wilds Publisher:Capcom Developer:Capcom Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More South of Midnight Publisher:Microsoft Developer:Compulsion Games Platforms:Xbox Series X, PCView More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Fans That Can’t Afford Switch 2 Will Have Other Switch Platforms Available – Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser also spoke about how he believes that the Nintendo Switch 2 has been appropriately price for the f... Nintendo Switch 2’s Game-Key Cards Won’t be Tied to Specific Nintendo Consoles or Accounts The Game-Key Cards will work like any other physical release of a Switch 2 game, which players can share or ev... Death Stranding Movie Finds its Director Michael Sarnoski, who directed 2024's horror prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, will direct the upcoming A24-prod... Nintendo Switch 2 Won’t Have Achievements, Surprising No One Just like its predecessor, the upcoming next-gen console won't have its own version of Trophies or Achievement... The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remake Will Launch Imminently – Rumour The relentlessly rumoured Virtuos-developed remake will allegedly shadow drop "at any moment this month," a jo... Nintendo Switch 2 – Every Single Detail You Need to Know Before You Buy Get all the crucial details you need on Nintendo's next-gen console.View More