It appears that Little Nightmares III’s physical release is on a Game-Key Card on Nintendo Switch 2.

Although the packaging does not contain any labels or warnings that it contains a Game-Key Card, the game’s pre-order listing on Amazon Japan includes the product code “POT-P-AAMSA”. The “POT” platform code is an abbreviation for “POTION”, the internal code name Nintendo uses for Game-Key Cards.

For users who prefer their games on Game Cards, the Nintendo Switch version of Little Nightmares III will be available on a Game Card, launching October 10, 2025, which can be pre-ordered from Amazon Japan here (ships worldwide).

A Game-Key Card contains a ‘key’ to download and play a game. The Game-Key Card doesn’t contain game data, as the game data must be downloaded to the system memory or microSD Express Card. When playing a game on the Game-Key Card, the Game-Key Card must be inserted into the system at all systems. This is unlike traditional Game Cards, which contain both the game data and software license (key) on the cartridge.

If you want to learn how you can tell between Game Cards and Game-Key Cards, please check out our guide here.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

UPDATE (June 26, 2025): More Japanese retailers, such as Rakuten Books, Kojima, and Bic Camera, have put up pre-order listings of the game with the product code “POT-P-AAMSA”. This confirms that the product code initially listed by Amazon Japan is accurate, and that the physical version is a Game-Key Card.