Final Fantasy 7 Revelation’s release date was announced at last during last week’s PlayStation State of Play broadcast. Set for launch on April 8, 2027, the third and final part of the FF7 remake trilogy will be available on multiple platforms.
Scheduled to launch on PS5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X/S, it is also heading to Nintendo Switch 2. But Nintendo fans have noticed a curious detail about the game’s release on the Switch 2. A unique aspect of the game’s production has drawn comparisons to the recent controversy sparked by Grand Theft Auto 6.
Because GTA 6 will launch with a physical edition but no actual game disc, players have hit out at Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive. The move has come at a time when many gamers feel that physical media is being phased out to the detriment of consumers.
This is amplified of course by the well-documented and hugely criticised decision made by Sony to cease production of PlayStation 5 discs in 2028. And now, the Switch 2 version of FF7 Revelation appears to be following suit.
The Switch 2 physical release of the game will not contain a cartridge for console owners to insert into their systems. Instead, it will utilise the new Game Key Card feature exclusive to Switch 2.
It works similarly to the standard digital code system, but Game Key Cards can be used as virtual ‘cartridges’ that can be ‘ejected’ from one console to another. This allows them to be lent to another console via a local network for up to 14 days.
As such, the decision has been made to sell FF7 Revelation without a physical Switch 2 cartridge, and fans have voiced concerns. But very few appear to have been surprised.
The Switch 2’s limited 256GB storage space and the smaller 64GB storage capacity of its cartridges essentially explain the move. And with FF7 Revelation clocking in at 130GB in size – a whopping half of the total storage available on Switch 2 – suddenly everything makes sense.
One Reddit user said: “Yeah that 130GB is the reason for the key card lol. A switch cartridge with that capacity is not nearly as cheap to make as a disk.
“Otherwise I bet they would have raised the price $10 or more.” Another simply added: “Was anyone expecting otherwise?”
Others made the comparison between Sony’s commitment to drop physical discs and referred to Nintendo’s new system as “a compromise”.
