Which Pokémon game was the first to use a Game-Key Card for its physical edition?

Pokémon Pokopia was the first Pokémon game to use a Game-Key Card for its physical edition.

A Game-Key Card is a physical product that contains a key for downloading the game rather than storing the complete software on the card itself. Pokopia's physical release on Nintendo Switch 2 used this format.

The distinction concerns the physical edition, not the game's digital release. Players could also obtain Pokopia digitally through the Nintendo eShop, with digital pre-orders opening on November 12, 2025.

The format also gave Pokopia a broader Nintendo milestone: it was identified as the first game published by Nintendo to be released on a Game-Key Card. That makes the release notable beyond the Pokémon series.