The Nintendo Switch 2 is more powerful than its predecessor, so it is capable of playing larger and more graphic-intensive games. On the Switch 1, those kinds of games would typically become “Cloud Versions”. Fortunately, if you plan to get a Switch 2, you won’t have to worry about that anymore. However, you’ll need to keep an eye out for something else that some Switch 2 games may have.
Some Switch 2 games may only be available via a “Game Key Card”. While these are physical cartridges, they don’t contain the entire game on them. Instead, it is nothing more than a “key” to digitally downloading the full game, though you can still insert the cartridge into the console to start the game up. In other words, it’s a digital game that tries to simulate being physical. It isn’t a real physical release of a game.
Unfortunately, there are some Switch 2 games that will be going down this route. For example, in Asia and Japan, it has been confirmed that Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition will be a Game Key Card. It hasn’t been confirmed to be the case in other regions as well, but it is likely safe to assume that it will. It is also safe to assume that this will not be the only Switch 2 game to do this, though for now, it seems that Nintendo isn’t leaning on this themselves for their own games. However, if they do, we’ll let you know.
