The future is looking increasingly digital for the Switch 2, as while the Nintendo hybrid console will still accept physical cartridges, many of these will serve as authentication keys to enable games to be downloaded onto the system. One company is pledging to ensure that the Switch 2 cartridge you buy from them isn’t a Game-Key Card, as it wants to stick closely to its mission statement to always offer physical games to buyers.

At PAX East 2025, Limited Run Games explained its stance on Switch 2 game cartridges to Boss Rush. The company–which specializes in releasing retro and modern digital games on physical media for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch consoles–explained that nearly all of its games will be “true” physical releases and will contain the full game on the cartridge. The exception to this rule will be games released as a partnership and that don’t fall under its numbered releases umbrella, as Limited Run will leave this decision up to the developer or publisher.

Game-Key Cards are notably cheaper to produce as well, and Nintendo has confirmed that these won’t be locked to your Switch 2 or tied to your account if you buy one and choose to resell it down the line. The reveal of Game-Key cards has been met with some criticism, as it looks like players will be forced to upgrade the internal storage capacity of their Switch 2–the console offers 256GB of storage, but a portion of that will be reserved for system files–with a pricy MicroSD Express card.

It is worth noting that Switch 2 games that are Game-Key Cards will have a disclaimer on the front cover, and several Switch 2 games will offer the full game on the cartridge. This includes a number of first-party Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong: Bananza, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while a handful of third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar will also be full-game releases.