Retailer claims Nintendo blocks physical reprints of Game-Key Card titles, but for "legit reasons"

Published Oct 26, 2026, 11:58 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Retailer claims Nintendo blocks later physical releases for Game-Key Card-only titles. Video Games Plus says the policy has "legit reasons" and may hopefully allow physical releases after sellouts. Nintendo says it's not planning to ditch physical games; GKC-only future remains unclear. Scrapping physical game copies for digital downloads has been a major point of discourse lately, especially when the news broke that Sony would cease PlayStation disc production in January 2028. Now, a retailer claims that Nintendo policy prevents developers who publish their titles via Game-Key Cards only from making physical copies later on, although they also say it's for "legit reasons." This information comes to us from a third-party claim and is not an official Nintendo statement. As such, take everything you read in this article with a pinch of salt and draw your own conclusions about its validity. A retailer claims that Nintendo prevents Game-Key Card-only titles from going physical later Apparently, there's a good reason for it As spotted by Notebookcheck, video game retailer Video Games Plus made a post on X explaining why Game-Key Cards (where the card acts as a key for a digital download) aren't later released as a physical product (where the card contains the game data). They claimed that Nintendo had a policy that prevents it, which was picked up by the media. Video Games Plus then deleted the original post and made a new one explaining that it's not a case of Nintendo denying physical card production just for the sake of it. According to it, "there are legit reasons for this policy to be in place at the moment," and while they don't state what these reasons are, they're at least keen to defend Nintendo's decision. So, does this mean that Nintendo is also en route to removing physical games? Fortunately, there's a good chance it won't. In fact, earlier this month, Nintendo went on record saying it wasn't planning on scrapping physical games. And while that could be interpreted to mean it's going Game-Key Card-only, I think the statement's intent was to continue full game card production.