The National Diet Library in Japan has clarified that games released on Nintendo Switch 2 game key cards will not be eligible for preservation because only physical media containing the actual game content are considered collectible, excluding key cards which only serve as download keys.

The library views key cards as digital tools that facilitate game downloads but do not contain the game itself, thus falling outside its scope of preservation.

Most third-party Nintendo Switch 2 games are issued as game key cards or digital codes, raising concerns about their long-term accessibility once servers and licenses expire.

This reliance on licenses and server maintenance by manufacturers presents a challenge for preserving digital-only games, with potential policy shifts if major companies change their practices.

The decision underscores ongoing challenges in digital game preservation, especially for systems that depend heavily on online content and digital keys rather than physical media.

Game preservationists and industry leaders, including Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick and director Alex Hutchinson, have criticized Nintendo’s approach, viewing it as a setback for game preservation efforts.

Nintendo's past shutdown of digital storefronts for Wii U and 3DS has raised concerns about preserving digital games, although some access to previously purchased content remains.

While game key cards offer benefits like being tradeable, resellable, and potentially cheaper, they face criticism for lacking long-term guarantees due to their dependence on online servers for content access.

Although game data is stored digitally and requires inserting the key card into the console for each play, the physical nature of the card complicates its classification as a preservable physical medium.

The National Diet Library currently only preserves physical media containing the actual game content but has recently begun archiving digital books and magazines, hinting at possible future policy changes that could include digital media like video games.

CD Projekt's executive has emphasized the importance of releasing physical Nintendo Switch 2 cartridges, citing examples like Cyberpunk 2077 where physical editions are preferable to game key cards.