You’ll Definitely Need An SD Card For Your Nintendo Switch

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It sounds like the Nintendo Switch won’t have a hard drive big enough to do much of anything with in terms of digital downloads, which means that everyone is certain to need an SD card. Just don’t buy one of the overpriced Switch-branded cards, as Nintendo has said that most cards will do and a special proprietary one isn’t needed.

Nintendo Switch file sizes will be huge

Nintendo of Japan has released the size of the digital downloads of several sure-to-be popular Nintendo Switch titles, and they are massive, especially compared to the size of the hard drive in the hybrid gaming device. In fact, one of the games is so big that it exceeds the 32GB of internal memory the Switch comes with.

The biggest game is Dragon Quest Heroes, which the company says is 32GB. Because the device’s operating system takes up some room, there won’t be enough left to download that game. Nintendo itself even stated on its website that the game won’t fit, so an SD card is needed to install it.

The smallest of the titles that were listed is Puyo Puyo Tetris, which is only 1.09GB. The widely-anticipated game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is 13.4GB, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is 7GB. Disgaea 5 is 5.92GB, while Nobunaga’s Ambition is 5GB. Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! Is 1.6GB, and I Am Setsuna is 1.4GB.

The only saving grace here is that these sizes only apply to digitally downloaded copies and not to games that were purchased on a cartridge. As a result, parents are advised to buy games on cartridges as much as possible and to check the file size before buying a digital download of a game.

Nintendo Switch is already hugely popular

The Nintendo Switch won’t even arrive in stores until March 3, but game retailer GameStop describes demand as “tremendous,” adding that the “response has been amazing.” In an interview with [a]listdaily, a spokesperson for the retailer said the attach rates for the Switch is higher than it was for the Wii U. GameStop expects the spring launch date (rather than during the holidays) will help drive sales of the gaming device throughout the year, with Senior Merchandising Director Eric Bright describing the first quarter launch date as “one of the smartest moves Nintendo could have done.”

More than 60 developers have more than 100 games for the device in the works, and even indie developers are creating titles.

GameStop plans to make some Nintendo Switch devices available on launch day for fans who want to try them out in-store. The retailer said it will have some units available for walk-in purchases on launch day, so those who missed out on preorders might still be able to buy one. GameStop is planning some midnight launch events for those who definitely want to buy one.

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