Update thanks to thethatfox:

Physical game cards may also not actually contain the game:

Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview

Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your “key” to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.

Update 2: There is probably a difference in Game-key cards and card that contain real game data. So we don’t know right now how often these game-key cards are used or if nintendo is using them.

  • thehatfox@lemmy.worldEnglish
    85·
    2 days ago

    Physical game cards may also not actually contain the game:

    Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card Overview

    Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data. Instead, the game-key card is your “key” to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.

    So you pay a premium and maybe don’t even get a “real” cartridge.

    • 𝔼𝕩𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕒@lemmy.worldEnglish
      36·
      2 days ago

      Not even that, currently games for say, ps5 download some from the disk, some from online.

      This Key-card fuckery means they can now lock the online downloaded portion of that game and now this can be used to prevent the second owner from downloading it with the same code

      Publishers have boogiemanned Used Games for fucking decades and now they’re taking another swipe to kill them.

    • PieMePlenty@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      1 day ago

      This is the craziest thing for me. Now buying physical means you cant install or play if Nintendos servers are offline. As it stands, buying a BluRay PS5 game means you can play it without any connection for most games - actual ownership of a game that cant be taken away unless they send people to your home and take it away.

    • picandocodigo@lemmy.worldMEnglish
      8·
      2 days ago

      I hope this is only for certain games and they specify it on the box (like those scammy boxes they sell you like physical games, but that say “digital download code included” and there’s no cart), because otherwise it’s a complete scam. Imagine you’re on a trip and buy a Nintendo Switch 2 game in a shop and can’t play it because your Switch 2 isn’t connected to the Internet. Or they close the shop and your memory dies and you can’t download that game you bought for USD 70. This is really bad…

      • Tamlyn@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
        111·
        2 days ago

        It’s probably not for every game, we don’t know that exactly right now. See this screenshot.

    • samus12345@lemm.eeEnglish
      71·
      2 days ago

      I think game key cards are for games that don’t fit on a regular game card. So like what happened before with some Switch games, but more transparent about which ones don’t have the full game on them.