Nintendo confirms Switch 2 game-key cards can be resold

At the Nintendo Direct event, where the new Switch 2 was revealed, Nintendo made some questionable changes to the game card. The new Switch 2 game-key card is now red in color and has faster read/write speeds, which is not a bad thing, but a sudden decision like that confused a few people.

Some players believed it could be another Xbox One DRM situation, where physical disc games would be tied to their accounts. Massive backlash made Microsoft revert those policies. However, if such a thing happened, it would prevent users from lending or selling a game.

Some users feared that it could be the same situation here. However, Nintendo has clarified that users can resell or lend their game-key cards to a friend.

In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the new Switch 2 game-key cards and how you can resell, buy, or lend them to a friend.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

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Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards are resellable: Everything you need to know

Nintendo Switch 2's new game-key card (Image via Nintendo)

Unlike most Nintendo Switch game cards, the new Switch 2 game-key cards do not have the full game and only act as a license key. When inserted, they will prompt the handheld to download the entire game.

This is why users were confused as to why Nintendo would go out of their way to change the game-key card if it didn't actually do anything. The old game cards could have done the same thing. Whatever the case, Nintendo has revealed that these so-called new game-key cards are not tied to a particular account or console. You can resell or lend them to a friend, who can then play the same game on their Switch 2.

You can even buy a game-key card from a friend for a cheap price and potentially save money for the next game down the line.

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Is it different from the original Switch games sold at retail stores?

The original Switch games sold offline at retail stores came in two variants: Game cards or download codes. The cartridges contain the full game and can be played right away without requiring a separate download. Since they are physical cartridges, you can resell them later. Download codes, on the other hand, allow you to download games from the eShop but are tied to a particular account.

The new Switch 2 game-key cards are a combination of the two. You can resell or lend the cartridge, but whoever buys it must have an internet connection to download the full game from the store. The new red cartridge is more like a license key now.