Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsYes. Nintendo kept a bitter-tasting coating on Switch 2 game cards to discourage people—especially young children—from swallowing them. Nintendo hardware lead Takuhiro Dohta told GameSpot that the coating is intended to make someone spit a card out if it gets into their mouth. Don’t test it yourself: the exact chemical used on Switch 2 cards has not been confirmed.
Why Switch 2 game cards taste bitter
Dohta described the coating as a precaution against accidental consumption: “We don’t want anybody to be at risk of any unwanted consumption. We have indeed made it so that if it enters your mouth, you’ll spit it out.” That is Dohta’s statement in a GameSpot interview, not a separately published Nintendo transcript.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Samsung microSD Express Card – 256GB for Nintendo Switch™ 2 | $59.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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SANDISK 512GB microSD Express Card | $129.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
The idea is not new to Nintendo. In the same report, developer Kouichi Kawamoto recalled licking a card during the original Switch’s development and said he never did it again. That anecdote concerns the previous console’s development, not a test of Switch 2 cards.
What is the bitter coating made of?
The chemical on Switch 2 cards has not been established in the cited report. GameSpot says original Switch cards were coated with denatonium benzoate, a bitter-tasting substance, but explicitly notes it is unclear whether Nintendo used the same compound for Switch 2. So it is accurate to say the new cards have a bitter coating; it is not confirmed that the coating is denatonium benzoate.
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- Nintendo Switch 2 uses a new standard of expandable memory card called microSD Express (sold separately). This kind of memory card is needed for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly.
- Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.
What else to know about Switch 2 game cards
Switch 2 physical releases come in more than one format, and the distinction matters more to playing a game than the card’s taste. Nintendo says a Game-Key Card does not contain the full game. Instead, it serves as a key to download the game over the internet.
- Game-Key Card: You need an internet connection to download the game and enough free space in system memory or on a microSD Express card. An internet connection is required for the first launch; after the download, later starts can happen offline. The card still has to be inserted to play.
- Other game cards: Check the individual game’s packaging or listing to determine whether the game data is on the card; not every physical release uses the Game-Key Card format.
For storage context, Nintendo’s developer interview says Switch 2 has 256 GB of built-in storage and identifies microSD Express as the expansion format. A card is optional, not an automatic requirement for every owner; it may be useful if a Game-Key Card download or other installed games exceed the space available. Nintendo’s explanation is available in its Switch 2 developer interview, while its Game-Key Card support page details downloads and play requirements.
Rank #2
- NEXT GEN GAMING: Works with Nintendo Switch 2.
- READY FOR TOMORROW. Ready for future products with a PCIe-NVMe interface; performs at UHS-I speeds with microSD UHS-I and UHS-II devices.
- EXPONENTIALLY FASTER PERFORMANCE. Up to 4.4 times faster transfer speeds than our fastest microSD UHS-I cards [9]. Transfer a 2-hour HD movie in less than 3.5 seconds [1]; save up to 2.8 minutes transferring 60 minutes of 4K UHD video [4] shot at 30 fps when paired with the SanDisk PRO-READER SD Express Dual Card (sold separately) [9]
- DURABILITY YOU CAN COUNT ON: Cards are waterproof, temperature-proof, humidity-proof, drop-proof, shock-proof, magnetic-proof, x-ray proof, and wear-out proof [5].
- HEAT MANAGEMENT REIMAGINED. SanDisk ThermAdapt helps keep devices from overheating with a specially designed enclosure and controller that uses dynamic adaptive thermal management.
HotHardware reported on April 8, 2025, that Switch 2 cards are red and have a maximum capacity of 64 GB, compared with 32 GB for the prior generation. Those capacity figures come from HotHardware, not Nintendo’s Game-Key Card support information.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
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