On Friday, ININ Games, a publisher known for retro and arcade games, surprisingly shared that it has managed to “recalculate production” for offering a physical version of R-Type Dimensions III for the Switch 2. This change came after Nintendo announced two new smaller cartridge sizes for the Switch 2 just two days prior. The topic of physical games on the Switch 2 has sparked some debate; it’s reported that full physical games can be costly for developers, while game-key cards do not actually contain the game on the cartridge.
Later that day, ININ updated its post and clarified: “There has been no official announcement or confirmation from Nintendo concerning cartridge storage capacities. Any references to specific storage sizes should not be interpreted as official information from Nintendo.” However, they will still offer the physical version of R-Type Dimensions III for the Switch 2, albeit with an added €10 to the retail price. Nintendo has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Information about why many developers don’t release games fully on cartridges is scarce, but it likely boils down to cost. Back in May, a Brazilian Nintendo journalist reported that, according to leaks from Arc System Works, Nintendo only provides developers with two types of physical games: a 64GB cartridge and the game-key card. The YouTube channel Physical Paradise has mentioned that a physical cartridge costs around $16, which is considered quite steep.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad commented on ININ Games’ initial announcement regarding the new cartridge sizes, saying on X that “cost was always the primary factor between key cards vs full cart releases.” The specifics on how much more affordable the new cartridge capacity sizes could be, or why they are being offered to developers now, remain unclear. Joost van Dreunen, a games professor at New York University, suggests that this may be due to rising memory costs; he believes this is “in anticipation of memory going up in cost soon, allowing Nintendo to charge a more reasonable price especially for third-party games.”
