Hundreds of Switch games exist on cartridge only because a small label decided to print them. Our archive of weekly release posts is mostly a record of that scene: Limited Run Games, Super Rare Games, Strictly Limited Games, Red Art Games, First Press Games, Premium Edition Games and a dozen more. If you are new to buying from them, the process differs from a normal shop in ways that are worth understanding before money changes hands.
Two sales models
Open pre-order. The label takes orders for a fixed window, often four to six weeks, and then manufactures exactly that number. Nobody misses out and nobody has to refresh a page at launch time. The cost is time: production starts after the window closes, so delivery several months later is the norm, and longer waits are common.
Fixed run. The label announces a number, a few thousand copies for example, and sells until they are gone. These usually ship faster because stock is often already made or in production. Popular titles sell out within minutes, and that is where resale prices come from.
Some labels mix the two, with an open standard edition and a numbered collector’s edition alongside it.
What you are paying for
- A standard edition is typically priced above the eShop version. You are funding a small print run, and small runs are expensive per unit.
- Collector’s editions add a box, a soundtrack, a booklet and assorted extras. Judge them on the extras you would actually keep, because the cartridge inside is identical.
- Shipping from another continent can add a third to the price, and import tax may apply on top.
Before you order
- Is the full game on the cart? On Switch 1 releases it nearly always is, including patches up to the print date. On Switch 2, check whether the listing says Game-Key Card.
- Is a retail version coming? Several “limited” games later received wide retail releases at lower prices, sometimes in other regions with English on the cart. It is not common, and it still hurts when it happens a month after your copy arrives.
- Which version of the game is printed? Labels that wait for the final patch before manufacturing deliver a more complete cartridge. Those that print early leave you relying on a download for fixes.
- How does the label handle delays? Look for a production status page or regular updates. The well-run labels publish them.
A word on FOMO
Scarcity is how these labels sell, and it works on all of us. It helps to remember that the point is to own games you want to play in a form that lasts. A numbered copy of a game you will never start only takes up shelf space. Buy the ones you would have bought anyway, and let the rest sell out without you.