Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards Won’t Be Tied To Your Account

With the Switch 2 generation, Nintendo will introduce Game-Key cards, which don’t contain the game’s data and instead trigger a downloadable version for you to play. Since the card will act as an authentication device, that has left potential Switch 2 buyers concerned about the resale value of their game. Fortunately, it looks like Game-Key cards won’t be tied to your Nintendo account, as it has been revealed that regardless of the Switch 2 unit that they’re inserted into, the user will be able to play the game tied to them.

“So key cards will start up on the console or system that it is slotted into, so it’s not tied to an account or anything,” Nintendo’s Tetsuya Sasaki explained to GameSpot.

It’s not clear yet why certain games will use the Game-Key format, but the Nintendo customer support page did confirm that a Game-Key Card is required to remain inserted in the Switch 2 after that game has been downloaded and installed. An internet connection is only required when booting up a Game-Key Card for the first time, after which the game can be accessed in offline mode on the Switch 2. Game-Key cards will also be marked by a white banner at the bottom of Switch 2 game cases, to differentiate them from Switch 2 cards that contain the full game on them.

Switch 2 games look like they’ll be setting a new precedent, as Mario Kart World will be the first one to launch with an $80 price tag. For many years, Nintendo still offered its first-party titles for $60–with rare exceptions like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom–and the company says it still looks at each game on a case-by-case basis when it comes to pricing.

Other games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and the Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will also be $80 games, and yes, Switch 2 physical cards will stay taste awful.

Those prices could also increase further, according to industry experts, as US president Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs have affected dozens of countries, including Vietnam, where a lot of Switch 2 hardware is being manufactured.

The impact of this has already been felt, as Nintendo announced last week that Switch 2 preorders in the US had been delayed from their original start date of April 9 due to the tariffs.