With a new console comes a new physical game case design, and new isn’t always better.
Just like how theNintendo Switch 2isa very incremental upgrade from the original Switch, even going so far as to havethe exact same shape for its physical game cards, including forgame key cards, it makes sense that those games' cases would also be very similar.
Cases for physical Switch 2 games have the same dimensions and internal layout as those for its predecessor, including the oft-unused clips for paper documentation above where the game card is held.
However, in addition to the big red Switch 2 banner on the cover art replacing the small original Switch icon in the corner, Switch 2 game cases are also made from translucent red plastic, as opposed to the colorless, mostly transparent plastic of the original Switch game cases.
This change in color limits what publishers can do with box art more than you might expect.
Less Visible Internal Box Art
Since the colorless plastic of the original Switch game cases is almost completely clear, it opens up a surprising array of possibilities for internal cover design, which different publishers use in different ways, even within my own regrettably small physical Switch game collection.
Nintendo themselves tend to go all-in on internal box art, with the main exception in my collection beingRing Fit Adventure, which uses the inside of the case for the usual safety information that would be on the back if it weren’t sold in a bigger box with its accessories.
Many publishers seem to have also found it to be a good place to put warranty information or where to find electronic manuals, or even information about the game’s controls, with the rest of the inside of the case either blank or showcasing more art.
Switch Fans Disappointed Over Amount Of Third-Party Game Key Cards
It seems as though third-party publishers are releasing a ton of their games as game key cards, thus unanimously pissing off fans everywhere.
However, while the plastic used in Switch 2 game cases has a similar level of transparency, it’s also red, which makes any internal box art a lot less visible. Not that that has stopped some publishers from trying it anyway, including Nintendo themselves, as you can see from the inside of the case forMario Kart Worldabove.
It’s clearly nothing more than an attempt to further differentiate them from the original Switch game cases when they’re side by side on the shelf at a retailer.
The reduced capacity for internal box art with the red cases is a shame, even if it’s likely something that won’t matter that much to the majority of customers, or if you’re the type to prefer the convenience of digital, even though not all publishers took full advantage of the original Switch’s clear cases.
Still, if some publishers still put internal box art on physical PS4 games with the clear blue plastic, I’m sure some will persevere with the Switch 2.
Originally Designed For The First Switch, Mario Kart World Needed Switch 2 Hardware To Function
Mario Kart World would not be the game it is without the Switch 2’s hardware boost
