The Crew Motorfest Hits Nintendo Switch 2 on October 8

Q: What sacrifices must The Crew Motorfest make to run on Nintendo Switch 2?

The main trade-offs appear to be lower performance targets, scaled-back visuals, and a compromised “physical” release format. On current information, The Crew Motorfest on Switch 2 is expected to aim for 30 frames per second rather than 60, with dynamic resolution in docked play and roughly 720p at 30 fps in handheld mode. That points to the usual open-world port compromises: lower native resolution, heavier use of upscaling such as AMD FSR, and likely reductions in texture quality, draw distance, shadows, reflections, foliage density, and other environmental effects compared with PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Because Motorfest is a large, fast-moving open-world racing game, those cuts are the practical way to keep performance stable on less powerful hardware. Players may also see more aggressive level-of-detail changes and occasional streaming or loading hitches, though Ubisoft has not formally detailed those aspects. The other clear sacrifice is in distribution. The Switch 2 retail version is expected to be a Game-Key Card rather than a full game on cartridge. That means buyers still need to download the full game over the internet, use storage space on the console or a microSD Express card, and keep the card inserted to play. It is a physical product, but not a fully self-contained physical copy. One thing that is not a Switch 2-specific compromise is the online requirement: Motorfest already requires an internet connection to play across platforms.

Q: Are Switch 2 'physical games' just cleverly disguised digital downloads?

Yes—some Switch 2 “physical games” are effectively boxed digital downloads, and *The Crew Motorfest* appears to be one of them. For Switch 2, Nintendo allows more than one kind of retail release. A traditional game card contains the full game data. But many third-party publishers are using “Game-Key Cards,” which look like normal cartridges yet do not hold the full game. Instead, they act as a physical license key: buyers must download the game from Nintendo’s servers, and then keep the card inserted to play. That means *The Crew Motorfest*’s physical edition is not the same as old-style physical media. It still offers some benefits over a pure eShop purchase because the card can typically be resold, lent, or used on another console. But in practical terms, it depends on internet access, storage space, and Nintendo’s download infrastructure, much like a digital game. Nintendo does label these releases. Boxes carry “GAME-KEY CARD” branding and a notice that a download is required, and the cartridge itself has a key icon. Still, critics say the format blurs the line between physical and digital ownership, especially for buyers who expect the full game to be on the card. So the short answer is that Switch 2 physical games are not all disguised downloads—but Game-Key Card releases, including *The Crew Motorfest*, largely are.

3 articles · Updated · Ubisoft · Jul 8

October 8 is the release date for The Crew Motorfest on Nintendo Switch 2, with both physical retail copies and Nintendo eShop downloads planned.
Ubisoft positions the game as an open-world driving experience across the Hawaiian archipelago, mixing free exploration with themed campaigns tied to different eras of car culture.
TrackForge community creations and fully customizable vehicles are part of the Switch 2 version, which the publisher says is designed for solo play or user-made content on the go.
An online connection will still be required to play, even as the game expands to Nintendo's new hardware.