Pokémon Fans Stunned at 'Pokopia' Switch 2 Game-Key Card Pricing After Nintendo's Previous Statement

Pokémon Pokopia will be playable on the Nintendo Switch 2 via a game-key card, and its price has left many fans stunned.

Following Tuesday's announcement of its 6 March 2026 release date during Sony's State of Play, store pages for the game went live showing a £53 ($70) price tag. Fans were quick to react, pointing out Nintendo's previous statement regarding the use of game-key cards for first-party titles.

False Promise

In May, Nintendo Life reported that the company had 'no plans to use game-key cards for Nintendo-developed titles.'

'We currently have no plans to use game-key cards for Nintendo-developed titles,' Nintendo UK told the publication.

However, Pokémon is not wholly owned or developed by Nintendo. The company merely publishes the games, which are created by Game Freak in partnership with The Pokémon Company.

As of now, Pokopia is the only Nintendo-published game to be offered on a game-key card.

While the Japanese gaming giant technically kept its word, many fans were shocked by the game-key card's price — and others say they would rather not use one at all.

The Divisive Game-Key Card

According to Nintendo, a game-key card acts as a player's 'key' to downloading a title onto the Switch 2 via the internet. Unlike a regular game card, a key card only contains a download prompt, not the full game data.

This system allows Switch 2 users to share digitally downloaded games through key cards, much like physical cartridges.

However, it also means players must connect online and wait for the download to complete before playing — unlike the plug-and-play convenience of a standard game card.

Pokopia's physical edition is already listed as a game-key card on Nintendo Japan's website. Although it does not yet appear on the US site, Nintendo has uploaded a YouTube tutorial demonstrating how to use game-key cards on the Switch 2, using Pokopia as the example.

Some fans dislike the concept, calling it "an empty cartridge" since it lacks the game's full data. Developers, meanwhile, have defended the format, citing the storage limitations of standard game cards as well as data-streaming and load-time concerns.

On social media, players expressed frustration at Pokopia being released on a key card. One user compared it with Mario Kart World, which is around 20–25 GB yet still ships on a regular cartridge. Another simply commented: "Pokémon, you can afford real game cards."

Before Pokopia, only third-party publishers such as Ubisoft and Square Enix had used game-key cards to make their titles playable on Switch.

New Trailer and Pre-Orders

Pokémon Pokopia is now available for pre-order, with early buyers receiving a free in-game item — a Ditto rug.

A new trailer will premiere on Thursday, 13 November, at 2 p.m. UK time (9 a.m. ET), and fans are expecting it to be a 10-minute gameplay showcase.

The life-simulation game lets players take on the role of a Ditto transformed into a human, creating their own world alongside other Pokémon companions.