A new report claims that an unpopular Switch 2 feature could be used more often in 2026. According to an insider, Nintendo are doubling down on Game Key Cards due to chip shortages and rising costs of hardware components.
Switch 2 Game Key Cards Could Be Used More In 2026 Due to Chip Shortages
Ever since the Switch 2 launched in June 2025, Nintendo fans have largely disliked Game Key Cards. The physical cart ships without the game actually on it, as it acts more as a digital key. Of course, Nintendo collectors absolutely hate the feature. For many, it pretty much made it impossible to collect physical copies of the Switch 2 library.
However, a new update might spell even more bad news for players that don’t like the format. According to Nintendeal, Nintendo is having to make smaller capacity game cards due to exploding chip prices. “I can confirm that smaller capacity Switch 2 game cards are in production. But due to chip shortages it will take time before we see widespread availability.”
As a result, the Nintendo insider explained that Game Key Cards are here to stay. “Despite the smaller capacity, these cards will still be expensive due to rising cost of materials. Game-Key Cards are not going away.” With Nintendo scrambling to make more cartridges, it’s made many speculate that we could see them end up using more Game Key Cards in 2026.
Switch 2 Players Suggest Boycott of Game Key Cards
Following the news of Nintendo possibly using Game Key Cards more frequently next year, players reacted by suggesting that they should boycott them. Fans of Nintendo took to social media to voice their criticism of the format. Many argued that users should just stop buying any Switch 2 game that doesn’t have a proper physical edition.
One user on BlueSky for example, said they were going to skip Pokémon Pokopia in 2026. The new Pokémon spinoff was confirmed to be a Game Key Card only. “If enough of us refuse to buy key cards I think they will. I’m a huge Pokémon fan and I refuse to buy Pokopia because of key cards and I can’t be the only one. I feel like this is phase one of them trying to get rid of physical media and considering how they handle digital media I can’t support that.”
It’s important to point out that many developers have said they are using Game Key Cards because of speed issues and not the costs. However, Nintendeal also confirmed that the new smaller capacity Switch 2 cartridges will actually be even slower than the regular ones at launch. So we could see more developers switching over to Game Key Cards purely due to performance concerns.
Will Nintendo Switch 2 Price Increase Happen Soon?
There have also been reports that suggest a Switch 2 price increase could be possible. According to recent reports, Nintendo has recently been hit with a 41% price increase in DRAM. The same report also claims that their cost in NAND memory is also up by 8%. While Nintendo has not confirmed that they would implement a price increase, many players reacted to the news with worry.
To be fair, that is totally understandable. After all, Sony announced a permanent price increase of all PS5 consoles in August due to a volatile economic climate. And this was before the recent RAM shortage crisis the games industry is currently facing. So yeah, if you are a physical collector the future might be looking a little bleak if you are also a Nintendo Switch 2 fan.
The post Nintendo Switch 2 Players May Have Just Got Bad News About an Unpopular Feature appeared first on VICE.
