Overview

• Nintendo has launched a U.S. survey for Switch and Switch 2 owners to gather feedback on game purchasing options including game-key cards, physical cartridges, eShop downloads and download codes.
• The survey asks participants to indicate how likely they are to buy each format, introducing a “definitely would not buy” option specifically for game-key cards.
• Respondents can select reasons for preferring physical games, such as collecting, gifting ease and a stronger sense of ownership.
• This U.S. poll follows a similar survey in Japan and comes after criticism from preservationists and collectors about the activation-only nature of game-key cards.
• Former Nintendo marketing leads have suggested that traditional physical cartridges will remain available despite the industry shift toward activation-only cards.