The Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key cards are far from being the most popular game format among users, but they are proving to be way more popular among developers, as they allow them to overcome some of the limitations of traditional cartridges, according to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi.
Speaking with German publication JP Games, Hamaguchi-san acknowledged why users don't like them, but from a developer's perspective, the discussion on Game-Key cards is much different. This new format allows developers to overcome storage restrictions, as releasing on a Game-Key card allows the developer to overcome the Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges 64 GB limitation.
The biggest issue for developers, especially those making high-end AAA games, is the loading speed of traditional cartridges, which is slower than the speed of solid-state drives. By releasing games on Nintendo Switch 2 in this "semi-download" format, developers can leverage the faster loading speed of the console's internal storage, allowing them to release their AAA games on the system.
While acknowledging how users may not like Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key cards, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director hopes that, in time, they will come to like them and accept them as part of the culture of gaming on the system. Not only is using them optional for a developer, but it also allows studios to release high-end experiences that may not have hit the system without them.
Since their reveal alongside the system this April, the Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key cards have been somewhat controversial, especially among those who like actual physical releases. While some developers worked their magic and managed to release their huge AAA games on a regular cartridge, like CD Projekt Red did with Cyberpunk 2077, others made it clear, like Naoki Hamaguchi, that traditional carts have limitations that force them to release their games on Game-Key cards, like in the Star Wars Outlaws case. The open-world game launched on a Game-Key card as the Switch 2 cartridges didn't give the performance needed at the quality target the developer was going for.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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