What is a game-key card? – News – Nintendo Official Site

Have you ever heard the term "game-key card" and said, "What the heck is a game-key card?"

Well, you've come to the right place!

Game-key cards have only been around since the launch of the Nintendo Switch™ 2 system, so you may be unfamiliar with how they work. To best explain it, let's quickly go over the three main ways that games come out for Nintendo Switch 2.

Physical game cards

Physical game cards (also called "regular game cards" in this article) might be the most recognizable method for longtime fans. They are the little physical cartridges that have game data on the card itself. You just insert a game card into your system, and you're good to start playing. (Cute little guys, aren't they?)

Game cards can be bought from your favorite retailer that sells Nintendo Switch 2 games. They come in cases that can be placed on a shelf or arranged like a tiny fort.

Can I lend out a physical game card?

Yep! Many folks like physical game cards because of how easy it is to lend them to your family and friends—just hand them over and that is that.

Digital games (virtual game cards)

As the name implies, digital games are downloaded straight to your system. You can buy the digital version of a game from Nintendo eShop on your system or from the Nintendo Store website or mobile app. You can also buy a digital code from a retailer and redeem it on Nintendo eShop.

Many players like the convenience of having a digital library that always goes with their system and having many games accessible at once.

There are a couple of things to remember. Because it's digital, the game takes up a portion of your system storage or compatible microSD Express card (sold separately). Digital games are also added to the Nintendo Account you use during the purchasing or redemption process. If you remove the game from your system and want to redownload it later, you will need to log into the Nintendo Account that the game is tied to.

Can I lend out a digital game?

Why yes, you can lend out certain digital games to people on your Nintendo Account family group. This process happens in person—kind of like handing a family member a game card—and does not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

We won't get into the full process right now, but search for "Virtual Game Card Guide" here if you want to learn more.

Game-key cards

That brings us to the third option (and the reason you probably clicked on this article—we finally got there, folks). Game-key cards combine aspects of the two previous methods.

Like "regular" game cards, game-key cards are little physical cards that you insert into your system. They also come in game cases that you can put on your shelf or arrange like a tiny fort. You can easily tell if it's a game-key card by looking at the label towards the bottom half of its case.

However, there's one key difference: Game-key cards do not contain the full game data on the card!

Wait, so how do you play the game, you ask? Well, once you insert the game-key card into your system, the game data downloads itself onto your system (an internet connection is only required for the initial download). In this way, they are similar to digital games because the game data lives on your system or microSD Express card. Please note that the game is only playable when the game-key card is inserted into your system. Yes, you can say that the game-key card is acting like a…key.

Can I lend out a game-key card?

Game-key cards are handy because they are easy to lend out. Unlike a digital game, game key cards are not tied to a Nintendo Account. That means you can lend a game-key card to whomever you want by handing it to them. Once your friend inserts the game-key card into their system, the game data will download (just like it did for you).

OK, that's all for now. We hope this little guide helped!