Nintendo says Game-Key Cards are not tied to accounts and can be loaned or resold

Alongside a new type of Game Card, Nintendo also announced that the Switch 2 will support what is called Game-Key Cards which look like Game Cards but don't contain an actual game. Instead, they are described as a key to downloading the full game to your Switch 2. Now, Nintendo has provided new information about the Game-Key Cards.

When a Game-Key Card is purchased, buyers will have to insert it into the console and then proceed to download the game. An internet connection will be required the first time you launch the game for the first time. Subsequently, players will only need to insert the Game-Key Card into the Switch 2 to play, just like they do with a Game Card.

While that might sound as if the Game-Key Card is tied to a console, that isn't the case. According to Nintendo's Testuya Sasaki, the Game-Key Card isn't tied to a console or Nintendo account, as they can be loaned, rented, and resold just like a regular Game Card.

Apparently, the reason for Game-Key Cards according to information provided by Nintendo America's president, Doug Bowser, to The Verge, is so that publishers can sell physical copies of games that are larger than the 64GB capacity of the Nintendo Switch 2 Game Cards. However, it is impossible to rule out that some publishers will opt for Game-Key Cards even if their games don't reach the 64GB max file size of a Switch 2 Game Card.

Despite the clarification that Game-Key Cards are not tied to accounts as is the case with digital downloads,  there are those who are concerned about the future of these type of games several years into the future if the servers are shut down.

Considering owners of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U can still redownload previously purchased games and download updates for their games despite the closure of the eShop for these consoles, it is safe to assume that those who purchase Game-Key Cards will always have access to download their games years down the line.