Nintendo Switch Game File Sizes Revealed
By AJ Caulfield 19 February 2017
As Nintendo’s forthcoming console inches closer to its March 3 release date, the company reveals data file sizes for a handful of the Switch’s digital games.
Though Nintendo has been relatively secretive regarding details on the Nintendo Switch recently, there have been a few hiccups in the company’s endeavors to keep things under wraps until launch. Those anticipating the console, and even those simply hoping to be persuaded by second looks into picking one up for themselves, have only truly gotten a handful of trailers and some comments from a few of the company’s head honchos. Until now. Nintendo has revealed the official file sizes for Switch games available for digital download.
Over on the Nintendo Japan website, a list of Nintendo Switch game sizes are listed, ranging from a mere gigabyte and a half to a whopping 32 GB – enough to pack full an entire iPhone, or the total capacity of the Switch itself, with data. While most of the titles included in the data fie size reveal will sit comfortably in the Nintendo Switch’s internal memory (which, as aforementioned, maxes out at 32 GB), others will require players to pick up an external card. Nintendo’s site recommends those interested in additional storage purchase a “microSD card of 32 GB or more” (via GameSpot).
Check out the full list of games and their data file sizes below.
- Puyo Puyo Tetris — 1.09 GB
- I Am Setsuna — 1.40 GB
- Snipperclips — 1.60 GB
- Nobunaga’s Ambition — 5.00 GB
- Disgaea 5 — 5.92 GB
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — 8.00 GB
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — 13.4 GB
- Dragon Quest Heroes I & II — 32.00 GB
This nice little reveal comes only a few weeks after Nintendo’s announcement that the Nintendo Switch will have expandable memory capabilities, and it seems players will be able to (and possibly even need to) utilize larger cards to support games they are keen to take for a spin. Cards of up to 2TB in storage are compatible with the Switch, but the highest capacity currently available to consumers for purchase tops off at 512 GB, which is only about a quarter of the potential storage space players could be taking advantage of.
These cards, of course, can run a pretty high price. Standard 32 GB microSD cards are fairly inexpensive, but the more storage space you are after, the more cash you will need to shell out. Players who are eyeing the mega-memory 512 GB SD to add to their console and Switch accessories for the total package experience will be out upwards of $250. Combine this with the reported controversy over the Nintendo Switch’s price – which some argue is too expensive and others, too cheap – and there’s bound to be some hesitation on making any additional Switch-related purchases.
However, digital downloads are not the end-all, be-all for the Nintendo Switch, as the console does offer the option to not install system memory. This separates the Switch from two of the most popular consoles currently on the market, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, both of which require players to have system memory locked in. Given this, Nintendo Switch players likely won’t run in to many issues regarding storage running out too quickly. Whether users are gaming on the go or from the comfort of their couch, it’s probably safe to say their console will generally always have a bit of extra storage space. That is, unless the majority of players’ Switch library is digital downloads.
Though Nintendo Switch hopefuls did get a glimpse of what’s in store for their storage capabilities, the list revealed today is still quite short. While it does include hot-ticket titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (whose file size was teased earlier in the year) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it will be interesting to see just how much space other Switch launch titles take up.
Nintendo Switch launches worldwide on March 3, 2017.
