According to reports, Nintendo is now providing game developers and publishers with two new, smaller-capacity game cartridges for the upcoming Switch 2. This move could fix a common concern among fans – that physical games are increasingly being released on small, easily lost Game-Key Cards instead of traditional cartridges.
Nintendo revealed plans for “Game Key Cards” for the Switch 2 in April 2025, shortly before the console’s launch. These cards are meant to replace traditional game cartridges, but they don’t actually store game data. Instead, they act like a physical key to unlock a game that you still need to download. This allows you to resell or share the card itself, similar to a regular physical game. However, many fans have criticized the Game Key Cards, feeling they pretend to be fully physical releases without offering the same features as cartridges. Some see this as a move towards a completely digital game market, which is a contentious issue for many gamers.
Smaller Switch 2 Game Cartridges Are Reportedly Coming
Nintendo is reportedly now providing game developers with smaller-sized cartridges for its new console, the Switch 2, in addition to the previously available 64GB cartridge. This 64GB size is currently the maximum the console can handle, as confirmed by CD Projekt Red. The information about the new, smaller options comes from YouTuber Physical Paradise, who says they received it from two sources with knowledge of the situation.
New Switch 2 Cartridge Options Said to Include 16GB and 32GB Sizes
A report from the game preservation website Does It Play on December 17th confirmed claims made by Physical Paradise about the upcoming Switch 2. They stated that Nintendo is planning new physical game options with 16GB and 32GB storage sizes. This is important because a single 64GB cartridge for the Switch 2 could be too expensive for many game publishers, especially for titles that don’t need that much space. While some large games like Cyberpunk 2077 would fill the 64GB, most games require much less. Nintendo reportedly charges publishers around $16 for each 64GB cartridge, plus standard sales royalties. This cost is likely pushing publishers towards using cheaper “Game-Key Cards” for physical releases, even though some fans dislike this option.
Switch 2 Cartridge Supplier Already Hinted at More Capacity Options This Summer
Rumors about the next Nintendo Switch potentially having different game cartridge sizes started in August 2025. Macronix, the company that makes memory chips for current Switch cartridges, announced they were preparing to produce cartridges with “varying capacity requirements.” Although they didn’t mention the Switch 2 by name, this news, combined with Nintendo already offering different cartridge sizes (from 1GB to 32GB) for the original Switch, strongly suggests they’re planning the same for the new console.
Possible Nintendo Switch 2 Cartridge Options for 2026
| Cartridge | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Game-Key Card | Unknown | A physical license without game data; available since Switch 2’s launch. |
| 16GB Cartridge | Unknown | Newly rumored option. |
| 32GB Cartridge | Unknown | Newly rumored option. |
| 64GB Cartridge | $16 (rumored) | Available since Switch 2’s launch. |
Some Devs Are Expected to Keep Choosing Switch 2 Game-Key Cards Regardless of Cartridge Options
Even though smaller game cartridges might become more common, physical Game-Key Cards probably won’t disappear completely. Some developers working on the Switch 2 have explained that traditional cartridges are too slow to keep up with games downloaded to the console’s fast internal storage (which can read and write data at up to 2,100 and 1,200 MB/s, respectively). Current estimates suggest cartridges only reach read speeds of around 400 MB/s – about five times slower. While the Switch 2’s microSD Express cards aren’t as fast as the internal storage, they’re still expected to be significantly faster than cartridges, with speeds around 900 MB/s for reading and 700 MB/s for writing.
Estimated Theoretical Peak Memory Speeds of Nintendo Switch 2 Game Formats
| Max Read (MB/s) | Max Write (MB/s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Switch 2 game cartridge | 400 | N/A |
| microSD Express card | 900 | 700 |
| UFS 3.1 internal memory | 2,100 | 1,200 |
Real-world performance depends on the specific Switch 2 model, how it’s set up, and what you’re doing. Nintendo hasn’t shared official speed limits. While the fastest possible write speed for a Switch 2 game cartridge is around 220 MB/s, this isn’t important because the system doesn’t normally write data to the cartridges during gameplay.
Sources: Bloomberg, NotebookCheck
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2025-12-18 02:04