NIS president says they “don’t see a difference” with Game-Key Card sales

One of the most controversial aspects of the Nintendo Switch 2 generation is undoubtedly the introduction of Game-Key Cards. While third-party developers appreciate the lower production costs, and it works as a compromise solution for games with larger file sizes to still get physical retail space without the need for a digital code-in-box, many consumers feel as though the lack of any actual game data on the cartridge impacts game preservation and takes away from genuine ownership.

In an interview with RPG Site at PAX West 2026, the president and CEO of Nippon Ichi Software, Kenzo Saruhashi, was asked about numerous topics, including the impact in sales performance when it comes to Game-Key Cards. For those unaware, the Japanese developer/publisher has heavily adopted the format for multiple titles, including Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon and Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless. According to him, those at NIS “don’t see a difference.”

RPG Site: Let’s switch gears to the Nintendo Switch 2. One of the new physical game initiatives Nintendo introduced with the Switch 2 is game key cards. There has been a response from Switch 2 players that say game key cards take away the feeling of ownership, because a game’s data is not stored in a game key card.

Do you see a noticeable impact on the sales performance of Switch 2 game software that is offered on game key cards? Do other platforms’ physical media offerings that do allow for all of a game’s data to be stored on them see increased sales in comparison to game software offered on game key cards?

Kenzo Saruhashi: Currently, we don’t see a difference in the sales between them.

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