According to Kotaku, a new survey from game deal aggregator Deku Deals shows that despite massive fan backlash, Switch 2 “game key cards” are selling anyway. The data, shared this week, found that of 1,070 users who added third-party physical games to their collection, 735 own one or more of these key card titles. The issue became a flashpoint at the Switch 2’s launch because companies reportedly only had access to expensive 64GB cartridges, making key cards a cheaper alternative. For example, Hades 2 is $50 on cartridge but only $30 digitally. While more cartridge sizes have supposedly become available since December, some games, like the massive Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, simply can’t fit on a cart at all.
The data is messy
Look, the headline numbers seem to validate Nintendo’s strategy. People who want a physical *thing* are still buying these cards over just getting a digital code. But here’s the thing: the survey’s own context makes this data kind of slippery. The site notes that the majority of Switch 2 physical releases *are* game key cards. So if you’re a collector or just buy a lot of games, you’re going to end up with them by default. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of the product; it’s more an admission of a lack of choice. This isn’t consumers voting with their wallets for key cards. It’s them settling for the only physical option available for many titles.
The real problem is size
And that gets to the core issue that no amount of fan anger can solve: modern games are just too damn big. The cartridge cost issue at launch was a temporary hurdle. The permanent one is that games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Final Fantasy VII Remake have file sizes that exceed what’s feasible or affordable to put on a cartridge. Some developers, like those behind Star Wars Outlaws, even argue that loading from a cart is too slow for their open worlds. So what’s the endgame here? Physical media, in the classic “the game is on this” sense, is being squeezed out by technical reality. Game key cards are just a awkward, half-step compromise. They let publishers check the “physical release” box for marketing without solving the underlying distribution problem.
A temporary compromise?
So will this change? The Deku Deals blog suggests more cartridge sizes are now available, which might mean fewer key cards for mid-sized games. But for the true behemoths? I don’t see a path forward. The economics and physics of storage haven’t changed. Basically, we’re witnessing the slow, messy transition of a “physical game” from being a functional piece of hardware to being a decorative license token. For collectors, that sucks. For everyone else, it’s probably just the inevitable future. The real question is how long players will keep buying a plastic case with a code inside when they could just click “purchase” on the eShop. The data says they still are, for now. But I think that’s less about love for the product and more about clinging to the last shred of a dying habit.
