It can be tough looking forward to third-party Nintendo Switch 2 releases as a physical game collector thanks to Nintendo’s controversial Game-Key Cards. A means of getting around self-imposed limitations on the console, most third-parties have opted to ship games on that format so they can either access faster data speeds or cut down on the cost of opting for a 64 GB cartridge, which is a little pricey. When it comes to Stellar Blade: Complete Edition, however, developer Shift Up will be releasing the full game on a new cartridge size: 32 GB.
As confirmed by marketing material from Shift Up (and spotted by Nintenderos), Stellar Blade will be ushering in a smaller capacity cartridge for Switch 2 releases. I’m actually quite surprised this particular game didn’t need more storage space, but having a 32 GB cartridge available means that production prices won’t need to be as high for printing physical copies. When the Switch 2 launched, the only available cartridge capacity was 64 GB, which is fairly generous, but also a bit unnecessary for certain games.
I don’t think we’ll suddenly see an influx of third-party titles releasing fully on cartridges going forward, but this is good news overall. With Nintendo offering multiple cartridge sizes, it ensures that publishers won’t need to deal with higher production costs simply to ship physically.
When will Stellar Blade release on Switch 2?
Shift Up hasn’t revealed when Stellar Blade will be hitting Switch 2, but it’s on track for a late 2026 release. Dubbed “Complete Edition,” it will include both the Nier Automata and Nikke collaboration packs, which mostly add new costumes and a single boss fight. Joy-Con 2 support is said to bring an “extra layer of immersion” to the experience, though I’m not sure how that will be implemented.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
