Another Blow For The Switch 2’s Game-Key Cards As Japan’s NDL Deems Them Ineligible For Preservation
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Despite the early success of the Nintendo Switch 2, game-key cards have been a dark cloud hanging over the new console’s first few months on the market. The situation has just gone from bad to worse, too, as Japan’s National Diet Library has confirmed that, due to the nature of how game-key cards function, they aren’t eligible for preservation.
The NDL is one of the biggest libraries in the world, and, for the past 25 years, it has been archiving physical media, so discs, cartridges, and, in the Switch’s case, cards, when it comes to video games. The library has preserved almost 10,000 video games, new and old, during that time, but has now confirmed that Switch 2 game-key cards will not be joining its collection.
Switch 2 Game-Key Cards Aren’t Getting Into Japan’s National Diet Library
Reported by Famitsu and translated by Automaton, a spokesperson for the NDL explained that “only physical media that contains the content itself” is eligible for preservation in its growing physical media collection. “Since a key card, on its own, does not qualify as content, it falls outside of our scope for collection and preservation.”
The NDL has recently changed its stance on the preservation of digital books and magazines, meaning there’s a chance it changes its mind on game-key cards in the future. For now, though, they’re not getting in. That’s due to the key cards falling somewhere into the limbo between physical and digital games.
What Are Game-Key Cards And How Do They Work?
When you buy a Switch 2 game on a game-key card, you’re getting a card in a box, so there are physical elements there. However, as the name suggests, the card you’re getting is merely a key. That key triggers a download, which not only means there’s nothing on the card itself, but also, you need to have an internet connection when you insert the game for the first time.
There’s an argument to be made that, since the card needs to be inserted into the console whenever you play the game, even after completing the initial download, that game-key cards are more physical than they are digital. The NDL doesn’t agree with that stance and, for now at least, sees the games as closer to being digital than physical and therefore, they aren’t eligible to be preserved.
Ever since the realization that most of the Switch 2’s growing third-party library will be game-key cards, the backlash has grown with each passing reveal. Most recently, Octopath Traveler 0’s very expensive Switch 2 collector’s edition was revealed to be a game-key card. Fans have also lashed out at Persona 3 Reload’s Switch 2 port since not only will it be a game-key card, but it also won’t include Episode Aigis.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $449.99
- Operating System
- Proprietary
- Resolution
- 1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR Support
- Yes
