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Thankfully, your Switch 2 games will still have some resale value.
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Chance Townsend
Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments
Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
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Credit: Nintendo
Nintendo has shined a light on an important detail about the Nintendo Switch 2. The company is introducing Game-Key Cards — physical cards that don’t contain game data but instead trigger a digital download when inserted into the console.
SEE ALSO:
How much will Nintendo Switch 2 games cost? Here's what we've learned so far.Nintendo said the cards won’t be locked to user accounts.
In a conversation with GameSpot, Nintendo executive Tetsuya Sasaki clarified that Game-Key Cards “will start up on the console or system that it is slotted into, so it’s not tied to an account or anything.”
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That means if you sell or trade the card, the next person should still be able to use it — as long as they’ve got a Switch 2. But there are still caveats. Nintendo’s own support page notes that the card must remain inserted in order to play the game, effectively turning it into a physical DRM key. Think of it like PlayStation Plus: you can install the game, but access is dependent on a condition — in this case, having the card physically present.
SEE ALSO:
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders delayed in the U.S. due to tariffsWhile the lack of account locking is a win for secondhand buyers, it’s also a reminder that even physical games are becoming increasingly digital and disposable.
Topics Nintendo Switch
Chance Townsend
Assistant Editor, General Assignments
Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and finds great enjoyment in Detroit sports.
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