Gaming Tech Radar

There may be a huge catch to buying physical Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games

April 7, 2025
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  • Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games may be a combination of Switch 1 cartridges and a download code
  • This comes from a Nintendo UK support representative
  • Nothing on this front has been outright confirmed by Nintendo yet

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may have a bit of a nasty catch as the physical versions could potentially just be original Switch cartridges with a download code attached.

Reportedly, a Nintendo UK representative had sent out an email stating that: "Yes, we can confirm that the upgrades will be download codes." The response was shared to X / Twitter by the 'Does it play?' account (via Eurogamer).

Another popular X / Twitter user, Wario64, chimed in with their take, pointing out that customer support reps aren't always the pinnacle of accuracy. Wario64 adds that there is no indication on Nintendo Switch 2 Edition boxes that a download is required at all.

But that's not the full story

In any case, there seems to be some mixed messaging going on. Physical Nintendo Switch 2 Edition boxes state: "This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition comprises the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack."

'Comprises' is the keyword there, implying that the upgrade might come on the cartridge itself as opposed to a separate code, which doesn't quite line up with what the above Nintendo UK rep had implied.

Nintendo's support website provides more details, describing Switch 2's cartridges as 'Game-Key cards': "Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they don’t contain the full game data," it reads. "Instead, the game-key card is your 'key' to downloading the full game to your system via the internet."

It adds that an internet connection will be required when launching the game for the first time, but can be played offline any time after that on your console. It does remain to be seen, though, if Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games specifically will follow this logic.

In any case, you can read our Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on - as well as our Mario Kart World impressions - to see if the console is right for you. Unfortunately, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the US have been delayed amidst tariff uncertainty.

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