Nintendo Switch 2 has had a historic debut in terms of sales volume, but this new console has not been without controversy due to one key factor: game-key cards. Now, the National Library of Japan itself is adding fuel to the fire, considering that this format is not valid for preservation. The reason given is surprisingly simple, and highlights the main problem with these “fake physical” releases: the game is not complete on the card itself and requires downloading the missing content via the internet.
Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards cannot be preserved, according to the National Diet Library of Japan
On August 24, 2025, the prestigious Japanese media outlet Famitsu reported on a story that once again rubs salt in the wound regarding Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards. The National Diet Library, which is Japan’s national library and one of the largest and most prestigious in the world, revealed that Game-Key Cards are not “suitable” for preservation. In addition to books, this organization has also been preserving, archiving, and cataloging video games since 2000.
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“Because the target is ‘physical media that contains the content in the software itself,’ a key card alone would not be recognized as content, and the National Diet Library would determine that it is ‘not subject to collection or preservation,’” a representative of this entity revealed to the magazine. Thus, the answer is short and sweet; even such a prestigious organization, dedicated to the preservation of indigenous works in different media and physical formats, believes that these Switch 2 releases will not stand the test of time. At some point in the future, the servers hosting the missing content will no longer be available. At that point, Game-Key Cards will lose all functionality, becoming mere pieces of plastic with no value or practical use.
And this is precisely the main criticism of the format. It was initially conceived by Nintendo as a cheap option for all those companies that wanted to publish their games in a “physical” format for Switch 2. According to leaked technical documents, Nintendo would only offer companies either 64 GB cards, which are relatively expensive to produce, or game-key cards, which are much less expensive but, for all practical purposes, act as a key to download the missing content from the internet and do not work without an internet connection.
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The fact that a prestigious organization such as the National Library of Japan has taken such a strong stance is no trivial matter. Nintendo is reportedly rethinking its position on this format due to the “well below expectations” sales of many third-party titles from the console’s first batch that were released as key cards, and has published several surveys asking for direct feedback from its users. On the other hand, publishers such as SEGA, which have already released game key-card titles on Switch 2, are also backing down, and titles such as Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, due out at the end of the year, will be released on a 64 GB card with the entire content on it.
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