Switch 2 Game Moves Away from Game-Key Cards for Physical Release, But Price Increases

Game-Key Cards have sparked plenty of debate since their debut, but there’s some exciting news: the complete R-Type Dimensions 3 will be available on the Switch 2 cartridge. However, there’s a catch—expect to shell out a bit more for this classic side-scrolling shoot-’em-up, with the price set to rise to €70. Fortunately, those who have already preordered the physical Special Edition won’t see any price hikes.

Inin Games previously noted that switching the entire production to standard cartridges would have led to a minimum increase of €15 per copy, which is why they opted for the Game-Key Card approach. They have committed to finding a way to release the full game on a Switch cartridge, which brings us to the latest update about the price increase, though it’s not as steep as initially feared. “There is no better timing,” the publisher stated. “Just two days ago, Nintendo announced two new smaller cartridge sizes for the Nintendo Switch 2, allowing us to recalculate production in ways that weren’t possible before.”

While Nintendo hasn’t officially confirmed the smaller cartridge sizes, rumors suggest developers may soon have the option between 16GB and 32GB cartridges, moving away from the pricier 64GB option. Game-Key Cards serve as physical authentication keys for the Switch 2, meaning you’ll still need to download the full game to your console. With limited storage capacity and the high cost of microSD Express cards, the system has faced criticism. Although these cards can be resold and aren’t locked to a specific console, concerns have been raised about their impact on long-term game preservation.

Some game developers have defended the use of Game-Key Cards, with one Ubisoft developer explaining that technical constraints necessitated the release of Star Wars Outlaws in this format. Earlier this year, Nintendo also conducted a survey to gauge user opinions on physical versus digital game ownership.