Japan’s National Diet Library (NDL) has made a significant decision regarding the preservation of video games, stating that Switch 2 Game-Key Cards will not be included in its collection. This decision highlights a crucial distinction in the digital age: what constitutes physical media and how we preserve our digital culture. Established in 1948, the NDL requires all domestic publishers to submit copies of new publications for preservation. While it has successfully archived over 9,600 video games since 2000, the NDL has determined that Game-Key Cards, which serve merely as download keys rather than containing game data themselves, do not meet their criteria for preservation.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has made a monumental impact on the gaming market, smashing sales records in Japan by selling over 1.5 million units in its first month alone. This remarkable figure not only outpaces the original Switch’s launch sales by threefold but also surpasses the legendary PlayStation 2’s first-month sales, marking a significant milestone in gaming history. According to Famitsu, which aggregates data from over 3,000 retail stores in Japan, the Switch 2’s sales performance is unprecedented.