What physical-card format was used for Pokémon Pokopia’s retail release?

The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia used a Game-Key Card.

A Game-Key Card is a physical card that represents a digital game license and requires the game data to be downloaded. This format differs from a traditional game card that contains the complete playable software.

Pokopia was notable because it was the first Pokémon game released exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 and the first Pokémon game to use a Game-Key Card for its physical version. It was also described as the first Nintendo-published game released in that format.

The digital version was available through the Nintendo eShop, while the physical version could be preordered separately. The format is easy to confuse with a conventional cartridge because both are sold as physical products, but a Game-Key Card has different storage and download requirements.