A Ubisoft developer has explained why Star Wars Outlaws on Nintendo Switch 2 uses Game-Key Cards instead of including the full game on cartridge.
Rob Bantin, an audio architect at Ubisoft, addressed the decision in a social media post, clarifying that the choice was not related to cost but to performance.
“[Star Wars Outlaws game engine] Snowdrop relies heavily on disk streaming for its open world environments, and we found the Switch 2 cards simply didn’t give the performance we needed at the quality target we were going for,” Bantin wrote.
Unlike standard cartridges, Switch 2 Game-Key Cards require players to download the game, which has led to criticism among Nintendo fans.
Many had assumed the move was to reduce production costs, as larger-capacity cartridges are significantly more expensive. However, Bantin stated, “I don’t recall the cost of the cards ever entering the discussion – probably because it was moot.”
He went on to explain that Outlaws was originally designed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, which feature faster SSD storage. “I think if we’d designed a game for Switch 2 from the ground up it might have been different,” Bantin noted.
“As it was, we’d build a game around the SSDs of the initial target platforms, and then the Switch 2 came along a while later. In this case I think our leadership made the right call.”
Nintendo recently ran a survey asking Switch 2 owners about digital purchases and physical Game-Key Cards, following mixed reception from fans.
Star Wars Outlaws, developed with the Snowdrop engine, was released last year and has since received varying responses, with Ubisoft chief Yves Guillemot citing the challenges of the Star Wars fanbase as one factor in its performance.