Nintendo Switch 2 could eventually have game cartridges offering different storage sizes. At present, the Switch 2 developers are limited to just one storage size option (64 GB) for their physical releases.
While not obvious from the start, Switch 2's single storage option of 64 GB has been influencing the decisions of several developers in a seemingly major way. Since the storage size offered exceeds the requirements of many games built for the platform, studios have had to opt for game-key cards instead to save costs. These game-key cards do not contain any game data but only the license to download the game digitally, which is the reason why a section of Nintendo fans has been up in arms over it since before the console's launch.
Nintendo Switch 2’s Used Games Ban Could Be The Xbox One All Over Again
Nintendo has sprung a new anti-piracy measure on Switch 2 owners that runs the risk of reviving an early controversy for the Xbox One.
Switch 2 Cards May Get More Storage Options, Reducing the Need for Game-Key Cards
In what may be seen as a positive update, Macronix, a Taiwanese firm that apparently handles Nintendo's cartridge needs, reportedly stated that more storage options are on the way. Per UAnalyze (spotted by Twitter user SuperMetalDave64), the storage solutions company recently shared that its ROM products are "primarily used in Nintendo Switch game cartridges" and that, in the future, it will use in-house MLC NAND and outsourced 3D NAND components to provide "varying capacity requirements" for these cards. Given that different storage capacities already exist for the original Switch cards, it could be inferred that the aforementioned statement is talking about something similar becoming available for Switch 2 cards going ahead.
This development bears important significance in the context of the game-key card row. In recent months, even more game studios have opted for Nintendo's game-key cards, owing to the lack of smaller storage options for Switch 2 cartridges. The possibility of optimal storage options arriving in the future holds promise and could mark a changing trend where more developers put game data on the cartridge, instead of only a key for the game. On top of that, the unfavorable fan sentiment surrounding game-key cards further adds to the chances of such a shift taking place.
While most of Switch 2's innovations may have been well-received, the introduction of game-key cartridges has certainly not had the same kind of treatment. And, fortunately for the fans, Nintendo isn't letting this thing go unnoticed. As a matter of fact, the console giant has been conducting surveys across multiple markets, including Japan and the West, to record and assess what Switch 2 players think about game-key cards.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $449.99
- Operating System
- Proprietary
- Resolution
- 1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR Support
- Yes