Busting at the seams —

Big titles must wait as Nintendo pushes back 64GB Switch game card rollout

"Technical issues" reportedly caused holdup until 2019.

The bundle includes the neon red and neon blue Joy-Cons.
Enlarge / The bundle includes the neon red and neon blue Joy-Cons.

Those wishing for 64GB Nintendo Switch game cards will have to keep waiting. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Nintendo pushed back the rollout of 64GB game cards until 2019, citing "technical issues" as the problem. Game developers get Switch cards from Nintendo, so this means that they'll have to wait to get game cards that can support big titles.

Currently, Switch devices have 32GB of internal storage; however, it comes out to about 26GB of usable space, as a portion is reserved for system software. Switch game cards currently support 32GB of storage, and they're able to easily hold games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Nintendo planned to release 64GB game cards in the second half of 2018 to support larger games, but it appears those cards won't be ready for another full year or more. Some big titles require more storage from the get-go, and 32GB simply won't cut it.

Users have the option to buy physical game cards or download titles from Nintendo's eShop. Physical game cards provide the benefit of additional storage so that developers and users don't rely solely on the Switch's internal storage space.

Nintendo initially attempted to alleviate the storage issue with the Switch's microSD card slot, which can hold an extra 2TB of space. However, 2TB microSD cards aren't available yet, and not every microSD card is the same. Some big titles require high-speed microSD cards to run properly.

Those who prefer to download games electronically are almost required to have a microSD card installed if they plan to play any huge games. Some titles available now, like L.A. Noir, pose a challenge because they come close to the Switch's internal 32GB limit. L.A. Noir takes up about 29GB of storage but also requires an additional 14GB download for "required gameplay data as well as general bug fixes and improvements."

While some analysts don't believe the Switch's success hinges on heavy-duty games, the delay of the higher-capacity game cards will frustrate some users of the portable console. There's no word on when Nintendo could launch the 64GB game cards in 2019.

Channel Ars Technica