Upgraded Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games have been confusing because of their contents, but Nintendo has clarified that they don’t include download codes, and everything is on the game cartridge.
The physical and digital media conversation is louder than ever. The Nintendo Switch 2’s increased game costs have made physical media the costliest it’s ever been. But when players are paying for physical media and receiving digital media instead, it sends mixed signals.
There’s been unrest and understandable headscratching over the Switch 2’s games and what you get. There’s been talk of $90 physical Nintendo Switch 2 games giving you a code instead of a game cartridge. One thing we know for sure is that if you buy a Switch 2 Edition release, you don’t get a code.
Switch 2 Edition Games Have Everything on The Game Cartridge
In a statement to Vooks, Nintendo addressed Switch 2 game cartridge concerns: “That physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code).”
So, if you’re buying The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition, you get the game’s box and a cartridge inside with the full upgraded version of the RPG—no code required or included.
However, Nintendo did clarify that this applies to first-party exclusives: “Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.” We’ve seen this before with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag and Rogue bundle featuring a physical case and a download-only code inside it.
Are you comforted knowing your Nintendo Switch 2 Edition purchase doesn’t need a code? Is it good knowing you own the complete content and can sell it when you want to? Let us know in the comments and the Insider Gaming Forum.
Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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