Nintendo Switch 2 game-key card sales have increased by 631% in the U.S.
Posted on October 8, 2026 by Brian(@NE_Brian)
in News, Switch 2
Here’s an interesting stat from the latest Circana sales report: sales of Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards in the United States have seen a 631 percent increase in 2026 so far.
According to Circana, 2026 year-to-date spending on new physical software has increased by 5 percent year-over-year to $738 million. Game-key cards are the biggest driver here. That format offset a 3 percent drop in spending across all other new physical media types.
One thing to consider is that there are simply more game-key cards available in 2026 than there were in 2025. That said, today’s stat proves that consumers aren’t ignoring the format.
One new game-key card released during the period covered by Circana’s report ending in August was Elden Ring. It helped boost the game to #7 from #41 in July.
Game-key cards have been controversial, especially for collectors. While traditional cartridges have all of the data included, with game-key cards, you have to download everything to your system before the title is playable.
This month’s Circana report also includes a look at the top ten best-selling games of August. We have that for you here.
Do you currently own any game-key cards? If so, let us know in the comments below.
