Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, the next entry in Sega‘s spin-off racing series of their flagship mascot, will release with the “full base game” featured on a 64GB physical cartridge when it releases on the Nintendo Switch 2. This is opposed to being a Game-Key card, which features access to a key on the cartridge, allowing players to download the full game through internet access onto the system. Game-Key cards are labeled along the bottom of the case with a white strip that states the game is accessed through this message, with the cartridges themselves marked with a key symbol in the upper right corner.
This is good for Sonic fans and Sega fans in general, as there had been some confusion concerning Sonic Racing, as multiple conflicting reports had suggested it might be featured on a Game-Key Card. Thankfully, Sega has put that to bed, stating definitively in an FAQ, “the physical version will feature the full base game on a 64GB cartridge.” For reference, Sega released Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, a remaster of the 2015 classic that helped solidify the franchise in the West, on a Game-Key Card when it released alongside the system on June 5th.
In addition to this, the same FAQ announced that Crossplay will be available between both versions of the Switch, progress will be able to cross over between versions, and a 10$ upgrade path will be available for players that purchase the title on the Switch and wish to upgrade to the Switch 2 version in the future. This has been an available option for players since launch. I upgraded my version of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma; however, other companies. Square Enix, however, recently came under fire for announcing there will be no upgrade path for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, with save files unable to cross between versions.
Early previews for Sonic Racing: CrossWorld have left players impressed, the franchise has remained one of the more popular of Sonic’s spin-off series. Despite this, it will still be directly competing this year with Mario Kart World, the newest title in the long-running series that launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2. The platform is starting strong with racing titles to choose from.
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