One of the most vocal discussions around the Nintendo Switch 2 handheld has been the persistence of Game Key Cards, largely empty cartridges that require users to download a game on the system, but can still be traded and resold. Since launch, many titles have launched on this format from AAA blockbusters like Final Fantasy 7 Remake to indie titles.
Last year, Ubisoft confirmed that titles like Star Wars Outlaws would not be possible on a traditional game cartridge as Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges simply aren’t fast enough to stream the amount of data required for many modern titles.
In a new interview with Automaton, Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi explained that “there’s simply no way around key cards” as they are the only reasonable option for developers trying to bring their AAA titles to the handheld.
“If you compare loading directly from a game cartridge (containing all game data) to loading from the Nintendo Switch 2’s internal storage, the load speed difference is roughly double,” he continued. “Some have expressed concern that multiplatform development may impose constraints not only on graphics, but even on game design itself. However, this is precisely why we didn’t choose a cartridge.”
Hamaguchi explained that games small enough to load large swathes of data “upfront” may be possible on normal Switch 2 cartridges. However, “data that is constantly swapped in and out” requires faster storage that simply isn’t possible on a Nintendo Switch 2 cartridge. Additionally, the current options for storage sizes on Nintendo Switch 2 carts would largely require additional downloads anyway.
“In the past, when faces with practical issues related to load speed and storage capacity we couldn’t resolve, we had to decide not to release on Nintendo systems,” Hamaguchi explained. “However, Nintendo Switch 2’s performance is impressive, and with a key card-format like FFVII Remake, releasing the games became possible”.
While Game Key Cards have become a prominent controversy for the Nintendo Switch 2 community, Hamaguchi expressed that he can only try to “sincerely communicate” to fans that many games simply are not possible without Game Key Cards, and would otherwise be shipping as code-in-box releases or just not at all.
Hamaguchi also shut down the concept that Square Enix is using Game Key Cards to increase profit margins as true physical releases are more expensive. While a proper physical release is more expensive, they explained “the games we aim to deliver simply cannot be realised on standard game cartridges”.
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, the second entry in the ongoing Remake trilogy, is also coming to Nintendo Switch 2 later this year on June 3, 2026. As for the reasons explained, it will be a Game Key Card release.
