On Friday, ININ Games announced their ability to revise production plans for a physical version of R-Type Dimensions III for the Switch 2, following Nintendo’s announcement of new, smaller cartridge sizes. The topic of physical games on the Switch 2 has been a point of discussion, as developers often face high costs associated with full physical games. Additionally, game-key cards typically do not contain the actual game data.
Later in the day, ININ Games issued a correction, clarifying that there had been no official confirmation from Nintendo about cartridge storage capacities. The revised statement indicated that references to specific sizes should not be regarded as official information from Nintendo. Despite this, ININ announced that they would proceed with offering the physical Switch 2 version of R-Type Dimensions III, albeit with an increase in the retail price by €10.
Nintendo has not commented on the situation. Information on why many developers do not release full physical games remains scarce, although cost is often cited as a factor. Reports from a Brazilian Nintendo journalist indicated that Nintendo provides developers with only two types of physical media: a 64GB cartridge and a game-key card. The YouTube channel Physical Paradise has reported that the cost of a physical cartridge is approximately $16, which some consider high.
Analyst Daniel Ahmad remarked that costs have always been the main consideration for choosing between key cards and full cartridge releases. There is uncertainty regarding how additional cartridge sizes could become more affordable, or why these options are being presented to developers at this time. NYU games professor Joost van Dreunen suggested that the potential increase in memory prices could be influencing Nintendo’s strategy to offer more reasonable pricing for third-party games.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/848462/nintendo-switch-2-smaller-cartridges-inin-games