Fans expect Nintendo to soon make cheaper Switch 2 cartridges available to game publishers as a fresh alternative to Game-Key Cards, although one developer said he expects his game will still cost about $10 more when switching to a proper game card.
In a statement today, R-Type Dimensions 3 publisher Inin Games initially said it would take advantage of two up-to-date Switch 2 cartridge-sized options that Nintendo will offer to developers who are currently faced with a choice between an pricey 64GB cart and a affordable Game-Key Card version.
Inin Games has now changed the same statement to clarify that Nintendo itself has not made any statement regarding cartridge storage capacity, and further post on social media, he stated that any previous references “should not be construed as official Nintendo information.”
These corporate teases aside, Inin Games is still releasing R-Type Dimensions 3 in physical form where it wasn’t before, due to what it now dispassionately describes in a hastily edited announcement as the ability to “rescale production in a way that wasn’t previously possible.” (For example, with a smaller cartridge size, hypothetically.)
Game key cards — mostly blank cartridges that simply encourage users to download the game’s content — have proven unpopular with Switch 2 fans, though some developers have defended their operate, saying they are indispensable for games that wouldn’t otherwise fit on a 64GB cartridge, and are a cheaper option for both publishers and gamers.
In an effort to demonstrate this, Inin Games has stated that it will switch its physical production of R-Type Dimensions 3 to cartridges rather than Game-Key Cards, albeit at a higher price point that is 10 euros (just over $11) more pricey. Still, that’s cheaper than a price tag “at least” 15 euros higher than Inin Games, which previously stated it would cost gamers if it used standard 64GB Switch 2 cards. Of course, that doesn’t mean that other, smaller cartridge sizes are confirmed for now.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s news editor. You can contact Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
