A new update about the release of Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2 has upset some players. Fans of the Capcom horror series are saying they are going to buy RE9 on PS5 instead.

Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 Release Sparks Game Key Card Controversy

Another day, another Nintendo Switch 2 title is announced as a Game Key Card. At this point, backlash shouldn’t be too surprising, as the new physical format is deeply unpopular with many players. However, the latest victim of the Game Key Card trend is Resident Evil Requiem, which releases on February 27, 2026.

In a recent blog post, Capcom confirmed that RE9 will only get a physical game launch as a Game Key Card on Switch 2. And of course, the horror title will also get a digital edition on the Nintendo eShop.

However, news of its physical release quickly sparked backlash among Resident Evil fans, who took to social media to vent their anger. Some fans even claimed they were boycotting the Nintendo Switch 2 edition altogether.

“Fair enough, I’ll buy it where it’s physical then. Buying a Switch 2 on launch and being pushed towards getting a PS5 is not the outcome I expected, but here we are,” a user on Reddit wrote. Another player exclaimed, “Resident Evil Requiem is an upcoming PS5 game on my shelf.” One comment was also critical of Nintendo: “PS5 it is. Nintendo really bent over backwards to make sure I don’t buy 3rd party games for their console.”

Capcom Reveals Resident Evil Requiem Wasn’t Supposed to Be on Switch 2

In a recent interview, Capcom revealed that Resident Evil Requiem wasn’t originally going to be released on Switch 2. However, the Japanese publisher changed their mind after seeing how well Resident Evil Village ran on the new Nintendo portable console. 

“We started off with internally porting Resident Evil: Village to Switch 2 to see if it would work well on the hardware. And it looked really great! So that gave us the confidence to add a Switch 2 version of Requiem to the plans.”

During the September Nintendo Direct, Capcom also announced that Resident Evil 7 will also be ported to the Switch 2 on the same day RE9 launches.

Why Resident Evil Requiem Uses Game Key Card on Switch 2

As far as why RE9 settled on Game Key Cards, it’s likely due to memory issues and slow loading speeds. In a September 25 interview, FF7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi defended Game Key Cards from a developer’s perspective. According to the Square Enix artist, the Switch 2 can have trouble running demanding AAA games.

The issue is mainly due to Nintendo’s physical carts having severe memory limits. “The smaller memory size of the cards is something that developers can’t ignore, and we have to work around that.” So it appears that the Switch 2 Game Key Card format is here to stay. And that sadly includes the upcoming release of Resident Evil Requiem.

So if you are a Resident Evil fan and a physical collector of games, you may want to consider purchasing RE9 on PS5 or Xbox Series X instead.