Amid all the excitement of Switch 2's big news bonanza, Nintendo has quietly confirmed some physical releases on the console won't have any game data on the included game card.
Nintendo is referring to these physical releases as game-key cards and, unlike standard game cards, they'll only contain a download "key", rather than the full game data. Inserting the card into your Switch 2 starts the download process, after which you'll need to stick the game-key card into your console any time you want to play.
Physical releases containing game-key cards will be clearly labelled on their packaging, with the example on Nintendo's overview page featuring a prominent white strip along the bottom of the box, reading, "Game-Key Card" and "Full game download via internet required." It's similar to the messaging Nintendo used on Switch 1 when games were only partially included on cards - LA Noire being an infamous early example - even if the key-on-card approach itself is new.
