NIS America: Trails Beyond The Horizon Switch 2 Game-Key Card Release Is “Most Beneficial Option” For Fans

Trails Beyond the Horizon has secured a firm release date on Switch 1 and 2, and with the latter console being more powerful, fans should be excited for what will hopefully be a smoother, more-polished release for the latest entry in the Trails series.

However, ever since the Switch 2 version’s announcement back in June, there’s been controversy surrounding it as publisher NIS America confirmed it would be a Game-Key Card release.

So, after our interview with Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo — where representatives of NIS America were present — we asked about why the publisher decided to go with a Game-Key Card release, rather than a full physical version.

In a follow-up email, a representative from NIS America responded:

“We decided to release this title as a Game-Key Card on the Nintendo Switch 2 as we believed it was the most beneficial option for our customers.”

We want to clarify that, as far as we can tell, a Japanese Switch 2 release hasn’t been confirmed for the game yet. As such, this ‘physical’ version is only confirmed for the West. Another Falcom game, Ys X: Proud Nordics — which is currently only confirmed for Japan — is also a Game-Key Card release on Switch 2, though that is being handled by Clouded Leopard Entertainment

Regardless, the above response isn’t the answer anyone was looking for, and many have taken to social media to criticise. Especially when the special edition of the Switch 2 release is $10 more expensive than any other version, including the PS5 release.

We’ve asked NIS America to confirm whether there will be an upgrade path for those who want to buy the full physical Switch 1 release and will update this article when we receive a response.

Game-Key Card releases have gone down like a lead balloon in general, with many refusing to buy them as they’re not true physical games — as Nintendo puts it, the cartridge in the box is “your “key” to downloading the full game to your system via the internet”.

You only need to connect to the internet the first time you boot up the game, but you will need to pop the Game-Key Card into the Switch 2 to play the game, despite the fact the game isn’t on the cartridge.

The Switch 1 version is a full physical, but we have no details on whether there will be the ability to transfer save data between the Switch 1 and 2 versions, or whether there will be an upgrade path for those who want to buy the physical Switch 1 version.

Some publishers, such as Marvelous and CD Projekt Red, have stuck to full physical releases, but many third-party Switch 2 games — like Yakuza 0, Bravely Default, and even future releases such as Dragon Quest I & II HD Remake — are all Game-Key Cards.

Let us know what you think of NIS’s decision to make Trails Beyond the Horizon a Game-Key Card release in the comments.