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How to Install Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and Phantom Liberty from a Nintendo Switch 2 Game Card

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 is sold on a 64 GB physical game card and includes both the base game and Phantom Liberty. To install it, insert the card label-facing the console screen until it clicks, then select the Cyberpunk software icon on the HOME Menu. This release is described as a regular game card, not a game-key card, so you should not assume that the entire game must be downloaded. If the HOME Menu requests an update or additional download, follow that prompt and use the publisher’s storage-support guidance.

What the Switch 2 physical release contains

CD PROJEKT RED announced the Nintendo Switch 2 edition on June 5, 2025. The product is Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch 2. Its contents are packaged together:

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  • The complete Cyberpunk 2077 base game.
  • The Phantom Liberty expansion.
  • A physical Nintendo Switch 2 game card with a stated capacity of 64 GB.

The publisher calls it a 64 GB game card rather than a game-key card. That wording matters because Nintendo uses “game-key card” for a different type of product: a card that stores a license or key while the game data is downloaded over the internet. The available product description therefore supports starting with the normal physical-card installation process.

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Packaging can vary by market or print run, so check the card box if the HOME Menu behaves differently from the procedure below. If the packaging explicitly says “game-key card,” use the download procedure in the comparison section instead of treating it as a conventional physical copy.

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What to prepare before inserting the card

Use a Nintendo Switch 2

This guide applies to the Nintendo Switch 2 edition. Do not use instructions for an older Nintendo Switch cartridge unless the packaging specifically identifies that version. The card slot is on the top-right area of the Switch 2, under a small cover.

Have the card and console accessible

Remove the card from its case only when you are ready to install it. Hold it by the edges and avoid touching the exposed contacts. The printed label should face in the same direction as the front screen when you insert it.

Allow for updates or optional downloads

The physical card is the starting point, not a guarantee that no network activity will ever occur. A game can request a software update after the card is recognized. The reviewed support material does not publish one exact free-space requirement for this physical release, so do not rely on an invented number. Make room in system memory or on a compatible microSD Express card if the console displays a storage warning.

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Connect to the internet if the console asks

A regular physical card should first be tried offline through the standard insertion process. If the HOME Menu requests an update, a download, or an internet check, connect the Switch 2 to the internet and follow the on-screen instructions. A game-key card, by contrast, requires internet access for its initial download and first launch.

Install the regular Cyberpunk 2077 game card

  1. Turn on the Switch 2. Wait until the HOME Menu is visible. You do not need to open a separate installer.
  2. Open the game-card slot cover. The cover is on the top-right of the console.
  3. Orient the card correctly. Hold the Cyberpunk card with its label facing the same direction as the Switch 2 screen. Do not force it if the orientation feels wrong.
  4. Insert the card. Slide it into the slot until it clicks into place. A card that is only partly inserted may not be detected.
  5. Return to the HOME Menu. The Cyberpunk software icon should appear among the available software.
  6. Select the Cyberpunk icon. Highlight it and press the A button to start the software. If the console presents an update or download prompt, read the requested storage and network requirements before confirming.

These are Nintendo’s official physical-card steps. The first launch may take longer than later launches while the console checks the card and applies any software update. Do not remove the card while the system is reading it or while an update is being installed.

Regular card or game-key card? The difference that determines the download

Nintendo’s game-key-card system is separate from a conventional physical game card. A game-key card does not contain the full game data; it provides a key that lets the console download the software. Nintendo’s documented game-key workflow is to insert the card, follow the HOME Menu download instructions, provide enough free space in system memory or on a microSD Express card, and keep the card inserted to play. Nintendo also requires an internet connection for the first launch of game-key-card software.

Question Regular physical game card Game-key card
Is the full game data intended to be on the card? Yes, for a conventional physical release; Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is described by its publisher as a 64 GB game card. No. The card supplies a key and the game data is downloaded.
Is an internet download required before playing? Not automatically on the basis of the product description. An update or additional download may still be requested by the HOME Menu. Yes. The initial software download is part of the installation process.
What storage is needed? The exact free-space figure for this physical Cyberpunk release is not stated in the available support material. Reserve space if the console requests an update or download. Enough free space for the downloaded software, as shown by the HOME Menu; Nintendo says this can be system memory or a microSD Express card.
Must the card remain inserted? Start with the card inserted and leave it in the console whenever the software requires it to verify the physical copy. Yes. Nintendo says the game-key card must remain inserted to play.

Because the publisher identifies the Cyberpunk release as a 64 GB game card and not a game-key card, the regular-card column is the appropriate starting point. This is an inference from the publisher’s product description and Nintendo’s definition of game-key cards, not a substitute for checking the label on your particular package. If the box or HOME Menu explicitly identifies your card as a game-key card, follow Nintendo’s download flow instead.

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What to do when the HOME Menu asks for a download

An update is requested

Choose the update option only after confirming that the console has an internet connection and sufficient free storage. Keep the card inserted until the update finishes. A patch changes the installed software; it does not change the fact that your physical copy is licensed through the card.

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  • A Nintendo Switch Online membership may be required for online play. Please check the game detail page on Nintendo.com for membership requirements.
  • 2025 CD PROJEKT S.A. All rights reserved. CD PROJEKT, the CD PROJEKT logo, the REDengine logo, Cyberpunk, Cyberpunk 2077, the Cyberpunk 2077 logo, Johnny Silverhand, the SAMURAI logo, Phantom Liberty and the Phantom Liberty logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of CD PROJEKT S.A. in the US and/or other countries. All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

A full download appears to be requested

First, stop and read the wording carefully. Nintendo’s game-key-card screen refers to downloading the game itself, while a conventional card may display a smaller update or additional-content prompt. Check the card packaging for the game-key designation. If neither the packaging nor the HOME Menu calls it a game-key card, do not assume that a full download is mandatory solely because a network prompt appeared.

There is not enough free space

Cancel or pause the download, then free storage in system memory or use a microSD Express card that the Switch 2 recognizes. The publisher’s Switch 2 installation support hub includes a section on game size and storage. It is the appropriate place to check the current storage guidance because an exact requirement for the physical card is not published in the available product information.

The console asks for an internet connection at first launch

Connect the Switch 2 to the internet and retry. That requirement is expected for a game-key card under Nintendo’s rules. For the Cyberpunk physical release, treat the message as a signal to verify the card type, an update requirement, or a console software issue rather than assuming that the entire game is absent from the card.

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Troubleshoot a card that is not detected

No Cyberpunk icon appears on the HOME Menu

  • Open the card-slot cover and press the card gently until it clicks fully into place.
  • Remove the card, confirm that the label faces the screen, and insert it again.
  • Check the card contacts for visible dirt or damage. Handle the card only by its edges; do not scrape the contacts or apply liquid.
  • Restart the Switch 2, then insert the card again after the HOME Menu loads.
  • Test whether another known-good game card is recognized. If several cards fail, the console slot may need Nintendo service; if only Cyberpunk fails, the card itself may be damaged.

Do not force a card into the slot. A card that does not click or sits at an unusual angle should be removed and reoriented.

The icon appears but the software will not start

Leave the card inserted, restart the console, and try the icon again. If an update prompt appears, complete it with a stable internet connection. If the HOME Menu reports damaged data, use the console’s data-management options to check the software and then reinstall any requested update. Avoid deleting saved data unless Nintendo support specifically directs you to do so.

An update repeatedly fails

  • Check that the Switch 2 is connected to the intended Wi-Fi network and that other devices are not consuming all available bandwidth.
  • Confirm that enough free storage remains for the update; a nearly full system can fail even when a small amount of space is visible.
  • Restart the console and resume the update with the card inserted.
  • If the error continues, consult CD PROJEKT RED’s Switch 2 installation support hub. Its current links include guidance for Patch 2.31, storage and game size, damaged or broken cards, and non-working download codes.

The card is physically damaged or broken

Do not attempt to repair, bend, sand, or open the card. Preserve the card, case, and proof of purchase, then use the damaged-or-broken-card guidance in CD PROJEKT RED’s Switch 2 installation support hub. A damaged card may fail to authenticate even when the console and HOME Menu work normally.

A printed download code does not work

Cyberpunk’s physical edition and a separate download code are different troubleshooting paths. If your package includes a code and the code is rejected, use the publisher’s non-working-download-code support link rather than repeatedly entering it. Keep the code card and purchase documentation available when requesting help.

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How Phantom Liberty is handled

Phantom Liberty is part of the Ultimate Edition package; it is not sold as a separate Switch 2 card in the product description covered here. Installing the Cyberpunk software from the 64 GB card therefore installs the edition that contains both the base game and the expansion. If the HOME Menu presents an update or additional-content installation prompt, complete that process before troubleshooting the expansion separately.

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The available installation information does not specify a separate HOME Menu icon or a separate card for Phantom Liberty. Do not buy or insert another card merely because you do not see a second icon. Start the installed Cyberpunk software and use its own menus to confirm the edition and available content.

Storage, updates, and keeping the installation usable

Why a physical card can still need storage

A physical card can carry the game while the console stores patches, system-generated data, and saved games locally. The presence of a card does not guarantee that every future update will fit without free space. Since no exact free-space number is published for this release in the available support information, rely on the amount displayed by the HOME Menu for the specific update offered to your console.

System memory versus microSD Express storage

When Nintendo’s game-key-card workflow asks for space, it allows system memory or a microSD Express card. The same locations may be offered for updates or additional data on a physical release. Follow the Switch 2 storage selector rather than moving files manually while a download is active.

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Do not interrupt card access

Keep the card in place while launching, updating, or checking the software. Removing it during a read operation can produce an error and may leave an update incomplete. Wait until the HOME Menu or software clearly indicates that the operation has finished.

Removing, transporting, and reinstalling the card

Before removing it

Close Cyberpunk from the HOME Menu, wait for the software to stop, and then press the card inward to release it. Store it in its case immediately. If the console is downloading or applying an update, wait for completion before removing the card.

After moving to another Switch 2

Insert the same card into the second console using the label-facing-the-screen orientation and select the icon that appears. Any update or storage prompt applies to that console’s current software state. Saved data is managed separately from the physical card, so do not expect the card itself to carry every save.

If you reinstall after deleting software data

Insert the card again and select the Cyberpunk icon. The HOME Menu will determine whether the card supplies the needed software or whether an update or additional download is required. Follow the displayed instructions and consult the publisher’s storage guidance if the console reports insufficient space.

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Quick decision guide

  • Card clicks in and the icon appears: select the icon and follow any update prompt.
  • The icon does not appear: remove and reinsert the card with its label facing the screen; then restart the console if necessary.
  • The screen says “game-key card”: treat it as a download-key product, provide internet access and free storage, and keep the card inserted for play.
  • The screen requests an update but does not identify a game-key card: keep the physical card inserted, make the requested storage available, and install the update.
  • The card is damaged or a code fails: use the matching damaged-card or non-working-code section in CD PROJEKT RED’s Switch 2 installation support hub.

Bottom line

For the standard release, insert the 64 GB Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 card with its label facing the screen, push until it clicks, and launch the icon from the HOME Menu. The card includes the base game and Phantom Liberty. Nintendo’s full-download and first-launch internet rules apply when a card is identified as a game-key card; they should not be assumed for this publisher-described regular game card. Updates, patches, or additional downloads can still require internet access and free storage, so follow the exact prompt shown by your Switch 2 and use the publisher’s installation support when the card, storage, or an included code does not work.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Cyberpunk 2077game cardsInstallation GuideNintendo Switch 2Phantom Liberty

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