One of the most contentious aspects of the Nintendo Switch 2 is its introduction of Game-Key Cards. Serving somewhat as a bridge between physical and digital media, for many it winds up being the worst of both worlds. That said, some developers have expressed praise towards this latest ‘innovation’, most recently claiming that Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Switch 2 port was only possible due to Game-Key Cards.
Taking part in an interview conducted by the publication Automaton Media, Naoki Hamaguchi – the director of the Final Fantasy VII trilogy – was asked about the team’s decision to go with Game-Key Cards as opposed to a standard cartridge release for the Switch 2 port. According to Hamaguchi:
“There’s simply no way around key cards in certain respects. If you compare loading directly from a game cartridge (containing all game data) to loading from the Nintendo Switch 2’s internal storage, the load speed difference is roughly double.”
The director continued, “Some have expressed concern that multiplatform development may impose constraints not only on graphics, but even on game design itself. However, this is precisely why we didn’t choose a cartridge.”
The full statement can be found HERE, but Hamaguchi made sure to emphasise the reasons behind this decision, adding that “in the past, when faced with practical issues related to load speed and storage capacity we couldn’t resolve, we had to decide not to release on Nintendo systems. However, Nintendo Switch 2’s performance is impressive, and with a key card format like FFVII Remake, releasing the games became possible. I believe the only thing I can do is continue to sincerely communicate that fact to users.”
While there is no denying that Game-Key Cards do have various faults (partly due to Nintendo’s lack of offering many alternatives), it appears as though in this case Square Enix feels truly justified in their decision. Of course, not all games are made the same, and so it is good to continue to question devs’ decisions on such matters.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Game-Key Cards? Has Square Enix justified its use? Let us know your thoughts down below.