Since the release of Nintendo Switch 2, its "Game-Key Cards" policy has been one of the most controversial topics in the player community. Unlike traditional physical cartridges that have complete games built into them and can be played without downloading, "game key cards" only provide game download codes, and players still need to download the complete content through the Internet. Many players have spoken out against it, arguing that the physical version should offer a full plug-and-play experience without the need for additional downloads.
However, the latest user survey data shows that despite the continued criticism on the Internet, actual consumption behavior shows a different picture. Deku Deals, a game price comparison platform, conducted a survey among its 1,070 users who had purchased at least one third-party physical version of Switch 2 game in the past six months, and found that 735 of them (about 68.7% of the total sample) owned at least one "key card" game, showing that the format's acceptance in the actual market is much higher than the online volume suggests.
The survey also listed the ten most collected Switch 2 games among users of the platform. It is worth noting that six of them are issued in "key card" format, including:
"Courageous Revelation: Flying Fairy HD Remaster"
"Star Wars: Desperados Gold Edition"
"Yakuza 0 Director's Cut"
"Final Fantasy 7 Remake INTERGRADE"
"Street Fighter 6 Year 1-2 Fighter Edition"
"Persona 3 Reload"
The remaining four are traditional physical cartridge games, such as "Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition", "Hades 2", etc.
At present, the number of "game redemption cards" issued on the Switch2 platform has far exceeded that of traditional physical cartridges. Although many players have strongly criticized the format online, they may still choose the "key card" product when purchasing based on factors such as game content, price, or availability. This may mean that for most ordinary consumers, convenience and the appeal of the game itself are still the primary factors in deciding to purchase, and the integrity of the physical media does not constitute a substantial barrier to consumption.