Star Wars Outlaws Developer Defends Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards, Says Cartridges That Force You to Download the Game Are Better For Loading

The usage of Switch 2's widely-disliked Game-Key Cards was defended by a Ubisoft developer who worked connected the Nintendo larboard of Star Wars Outlaws.

Writing connected societal media, Ubisoft audio designer Rob Bantin shared the existent crushed wherefore the Nintendo Switch 2 mentation of Star Wars Outlaws uses a Game-Key Card — a carnal cartridge that requires owners inactive download the game, alternatively than including the afloat happening connected the cart.

The answer? It's each owed to the Switch 2's information speeds, and however rapidly the hardware tin work accusation from its bespoke cartridges, versus games downloaded to the console's interior memory.

"[Star Wars Outlaws crippled engine] Snowdrop relies heavy connected disk streaming for its unfastened satellite environments, and we recovered the Switch 2 cards simply didn't springiness the show we needed astatine the prime people we were going for," Bantin wrote.

The accusation has travel arsenic a astonishment to immoderate Nintendo fans who person antecedently grumbled implicit the usage of Game-Key Cards, which are cheaper and truthful progressively fashionable among developers of larger games which would different necessitate much costly cartridges with accrued representation capacity.

"I don't callback the outgo of the cards ever entering the treatment – astir apt due to the fact that it was moot," Bantin continued.

While not a broad crushed for each developers to usage Game-Key Cards, Bantin went connected to explicate that it was important for Ubisoft and its Snowdrop improvement team, particularly arsenic Outlaws was primitively developed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S — console platforms that had faster SSD representation connected board.

"I deliberation if we'd designed a crippled for Switch 2 from the crushed up it mightiness person been different," Bantin said. "As it was, we'd physique a crippled astir the SSDs of the archetypal people platforms, and past the Switch 2 came on a portion later. In this lawsuit I deliberation our enactment made the close call."

Last month, Nintendo launched a caller instrumentality survey that quizzed Switch 2 owners for their opinions connected buying integer games alternatively of boxed copies, and specifically asked for feedback connected Game-Key Cards, pursuing their less-than-stellar archetypal reception among fans who similar their carnal games to include... well, the afloat game.

First released past twelvemonth to a mixed effect and lackluster sales, Ubisoft brag Yves Guillemot precocious blamed Star Wars Outlaws disappointing income show connected the "choppy waters" of the sci-fi saga's ain fandom.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social