Nintendo has delayed the release of 64 GB cartridges for the Nintendo Switch from the second half of 2018 to sometime in 2019.
The disappointing news ends an otherwise successful 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, with 10 million units of the hybrid console sold since its March launch and more high-profile games coming in 2018.
Nintendo Switch 64 GB Game Cards Delayed
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Nintendo has told developers that the delivery of 64 GB cartridges for the Nintendo Switch has been delayed to 2019. The sources claim that Nintendo made the decision due to technical issues with the larger capacity game cards, so additional time is necessary to ensure the quality of the cartridges.
Nintendo has had difficulties attracting third-party developers to make games for its consoles since the Game Cube. This new development will certainly not help the case for the Nintendo Switch.
Why Do We Need 64 GB Cartridges For The Nintendo Switch?
While the Nintendo Switch is off to an amazing start, the hybrid console comes with a few complaints. One of the major issues with the Nintendo Switch is that some games are too big for the current 32 GB game cards for the hybrid console.
Nintendo's own games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey are relatively small, with the two highly acclaimed titles requiring space of below 16 GB. However, physical releases of data-heavy titles such as Doom and L.A. Noire require gamers to download additional data on top of buying the game card. With the Nintendo Switch only having an internal storage capacity of 32 GB, owners of the hybrid console will be forced to buy microSD memory cards to play these games.
Developers are used to working with 50 GB of space, as that is the capacity of the Blu-ray discs that are used by the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Without 64 GB game cards in the near future, developers might shy away from creating games for the Nintendo Switch due to concerns that players will not buy titles that require microSD memory cards. Players may then soon see an increasingly limited gaming library for the Nintendo Switch, which might drag down the momentum of the hybrid console.
The Nintendo Switch carries limited technical specifications compared to its rival consoles in the video game industry. The storage problem will make it even harder for developers to bring games to the Nintendo Switch.
