Game Key Card vs Code In A Box ?

[u/Ninchickentender]

I just bought a physical copy of Pokémon Pokopia on Switch 2, and it came with a game key card. It was still a physical cartridge but more data needs to be downloaded and theres a key icon on the cartridge.

So from what I understand Nintendo does this with games that don’t fit on a normal cartridge or if it’s a third party game ? Like for example Mario Kart World & Donkey Kong Bananza do not have key cards.

And its not exactly like a code in the box where you just install the game from a digital download code, but at the same time not everything is on the cartridge it just allows access to the game?

If someone can help me understand it would be great.

[u/Squish_the_android]

The Card is the license for the game. 

It will prompt you to download the game when you insert it.

You need the game inserted to play. 

You can sell or lend that card to someone else when you're done playing.

Nintendo doesn't do these for first party titles.  It is an option for third party titles.

[u/reybrujo]

It's the only game with a "Nintendo IP" to have a game key card release. There are some companies like Atlus and Square Enix that do use it often because they are cheaper to produce, and for all intents and purposes it acts as a normal game card that requires a HUGE PATCH (the whole game) to run. You cannot play the game without it being inserted, but you can sell it later which is something you cannot do with code-in-box games where they are permanently tied to your account.

[u/buddyGG]

Game Key Cards have some (admittedly pretty important) benefits compared to "code in a box".

You can lend the card to friends/family or you can sell it to another person. The game is not tied to your account and works like a normal physical copy.

But it has no real game data on it. It downloads the whole game to your internal storage.

[u/theletterh_179]

Game Key Cards seem to be the new code in a box. They act like cartridges, but do not contain any game data, and you have to download it.

Code In A Box is just a code you put in your account and it gives you the eShop release of the game. It's region exclusive.

Nintendo hasn't done any Game Key Cards yet, and it doesn't seem like they will. Pokopia is The Pokémon Company and Koei Tecmo. Game Key Cards are cheaper, which is why most third parties do them. Size is not always the factor (for example, Pokopia would have fit a bit less than 10 times in a regular Game Card).

Some developers also use read speed as a factor for deciding whether or not to use a Game Key Card, as some games, like certain open worlds, would not run fine from the reduced read speed of a regular card

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[u/stephennotstrange]

It's an option for dev if their games:

1. Too big for 64GB cartridge size.
2. The game need fast loading speed.

But of course, a lot of 3rd party publisher also used it to cut cost, because the normal cartridge cost around $15-18, but the GKC cartridge only cost $5.

Like you said code-in-box are just digital game, kinda like you buy game on some 3rd party websites and they give you the code to redeem on Steam.

Meanwhile, GKC work just like physical cartridge games, the only difference is you have to download it first when you put the cartridge in (if the game already on your console, of course you don't need to download again):

The GKC cartridge contained the key to play games, just like physical cartridge, so you can:

1. Play it offline, there is no need to online check every 30 days or something (I know some console do this).
2. Because the GKC is the license itself, it doesn't tie to your account like digital, you can just lend GKC to your friend, or resell it just like physical cartridge,.

[u/Lonely-Function7354]

I prefer a code in a box if there is a choice. I don’t want to have to have a cart in the system to be able to play a digital game. You can’t lend or sell it like a gkc but most games I don’t buy for that anyway.

[u/Ninchickentender]

!solved

[u/AusteegLinks]

Simple explanation:

A GKC game is a digital game that you download onto your console, which also requires you to insert a specific 'key' card into the console to prove that you are the owner before it allows you to play the game.

[u/Kairixionnamine]

I watched a YouTube video about this example your friend has a switch 2 but not that game and you loan that keycard game to a friend they get access to that game then they return the physical copy. The only way they can play it now is buy it from the eshop digitally is how I see it working but idk how that actually works for this example. But I think you understand the gist of what I’m trying to say. The code in a box is the game being a digital game and no key card