Switch 2 Game Key Cards vs. Physical Cartridges: Price and Size Guides

Emerging evidence points to Nintendo preparing smaller Switch 2 cartridge formats to address rising storage costs.

Hardware by Katmin on Dec 22, 2025

A recent update on the Switch 2 game key card situation surfaced after one publisher confirmed some of the information and rumors circulating for months. The reaction online suggested that Nintendo was not thrilled with this sudden openness, as posts were quickly deleted, edited, or reworded.

The situation also raised the question of whether everything could be placed on a cartridge with a certain compromise—specifically, pricing.

Switch 2, Game Key Cards, Physical Cartridges, Price, Size Guides, NoobFeed

Confirming Smaller Switch 2 Cartridges

To catch everyone up, we observed Nintendo and others noting that smaller-capacity Switch 2 game cards are in production. However, due to chip shortages, widespread availability will take time. Despite being smaller, these cards will still be expensive because of rising material costs.

Game key cards are not going away, and file sizes remain one of the biggest sticking points for the Switch 2. Historically, Nintendo kept its file sizes under control, but now we have examples like Age of Imprisonment, which is over 40GB.

It appears that future Nintendo titles may push beyond what would fit on a 32GB cartridge. Even 64GB cartridges—Nintendo's typical upper end—are becoming more expensive due to rising costs for materials like RAM, solid-state storage, and NAND flash.

This raises questions about the price point of a 64GB cartridge when a publisher may need to order thousands or even millions. Margin pressure becomes unavoidable.

ININ and the R-Type Dimensions 3 Situation

ININ has been preparing for the launch of R-Type Dimensions 3, coming in May 2026. PlayStation 5 version is straightforward, shipping on a Blu-ray disc, but the Switch 2 cartridge was a point of concern. Many players disliked the idea of a game key card, especially in a more expensive collector's edition.

For a game close to 10GB, using a 64GB cartridge feels like a wasted cost. Smaller cartridge options would be more feasible for smaller developers or publishers.

The situation escalated when ININ posted—and quickly deleted—a message on Twitter/X stating that Nintendo had announced two new, smaller cartridge sizes for the Switch 2. No one else had mentioned "two new, smaller cartridge sizes," so this essentially confirmed something that had not been publicly stated. It was clear the post was not meant to be shared yet.

Switch 2, Game Key Cards, Physical Cartridges, Price, Size Guides, NoobFeed

Updated Publisher Statement

The deleted post was replaced on ININ website with an updated explanation. The site originally referenced Nintendo's announcement of two new, smaller cartridge sizes, but this wording was removed. Instead, Inin stated that they were now able to "recalculate production in a way that wasn't possible before" and confirmed that all US and European releases of R-Type Dimensions 3 for Switch 2 would be on physical cartridges.

The sudden shift strongly suggests that smaller cartridges are indeed real and viable. Given the deletion, we can assume Nintendo intervened. With a game around 10GB, Inin is almost certainly using one of these new, smaller cartridge types.

Cartridge Cost and Price Differences

Even with smaller cartridge sizes becoming available, they are still not cheap enough to match the PlayStation 5 version's pricing. Inin confirmed that the Switch 2 physical edition will be $10 more—$70 for the special edition—while the PS5 version is $60. Collector's editions remain at $200 each.

At lower price points, the cartridge cost becomes a much larger factor. This raises the question: would you spend $10 more to ensure everything is on a cartridge rather than a game key card? It's an interesting problem for both developers and players.

Switch 2, Game Key Cards, Physical Cartridges, Price, Size Guides, NoobFeed

Rising Material Costs and Future Uncertainty

There is also uncertainty surrounding future prices. RAM, solid-state storage, and NAND flash may rise sharply in cost over the next 12–24 months. Nintendo might introduce, for example, a 16GB cartridge that is affordable today, only to have it cost nearly as much as a 64GB cartridge eight months later.

Ideally, by the second half of the Switch 2 generation, cartridge costs will drop significantly. They may never be as cheap as game key cards. Still, the goal is for the difference to become negligible so publishers can confidently release full games on cartridge without worrying about long-term cost.

What Happens Next

Based on what happened with ININ, it appears confirmed that Nintendo has introduced at least two additional cartridge sizes. By May 2026, with the release of R-Type Dimensions 3, we will likely see these smaller cartridges in the market.

Also, check our other handheld articles :