Switch 2 Edition Games Contain Both the Game and the Upgrade on the Cart, Nintendo Clarifies

Nintendo has confirmed that Switch 2 Edition games contain both the game and the upgrade on the cartridge itself.

Confusion arose after conflicting reports based on comments from customer service staff suggested Switch 2 Edition games may not include the game itself.

However, in a statement to Vooks, Nintendo clarified this is not the case, although pointed out that some publishers may release Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging with no game card.

Here’s the Nintendo statement:

“Physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code). Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.”

$79.99 Switch 2 Edition games include Kirby and The Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

These Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games improve upon their original Switch versions in various ways. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, for example, gain additional support for the Zelda Notes service in the Nintendo Switch App that provides game help. They also have achievements on Switch 2.

Nintendo also recently confirmed that several new Switch 2 game cards won’t always carry an actual game, but instead contain a key for a game download.

Switch 2 game-key cards are physical cards that only contain a key to download your chosen game. That means there’s no actual game data on the card you insert into your Switch 2, so you’ll need to download it once the card is inserted. Every game-key card case will be appropriately labeled on the lower portion of the front of the box, so if you’re concerned about what exactly you’re purchasing, you should have a heads-up right away.

Games like Street Fighter 6 and the Bravely Default remaster do indeed feature this game-key card disclaimer. Others, such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, do not. The beefy Cyberpunk 2077, which weighs in at 64 GB on Nintendo Switch 2, comes on cart.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.