When you buy a physical game for the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s a chance that the game won’t be included on the cartridge.
In a post on the website for the new system’s games, Nintendo has confirmed that some Switch 2 games won’t have the game on the physical product. Instead, the Nintendo Switch 2 cartridge will only include a license to the game
“Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data,” Nintendo says. “Instead, the game-key card is your “key” to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.
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“After it’s downloaded, you can play the game by inserting the game-key card into your system and starting it up like a standard physical game card.”
It’s important to note that this won’t apply to all Nintendo Switch 2 games. However, with some games costing upwards of $90 for a physical copy, it’s sure to not sit well with players that prefer the actual cartridge.
Should the game cartridge not include the actual game, the box will make sure that’s known.
What do you think of the cartridges for some Nintendo Switch 2 games not including the actual game data? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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