Do you ever wonder how much storage a switch has? Or are you thinking about buying a Switch Lite and want to know how many games it can hold? You are not alone. With digital games becoming more popular, it’s crucial to understand your gaming console’s storage capabilities.
We’ll walk you through the storage capacities of the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite, as well as how many games each can hold. In addition, we’ll look at the advantages of buying an SD card for your Switch as well as the compatibility of various microSD cards.
How Many Digital Games Does a Switch Support?
The number of games that a Nintendo Switch can store is determined by the model and storage capacity. The standard Nintendo Switch has 32 GB of storage, which allows you to store and install approximately 4–8 games, including large games such as Zelda.
However, if you have the option of purchasing a Switch with 64 GB of storage, you can store around 8–16 games.
This number rises with larger storage options, such as 128 GB, which can store 25–28 games, depending on the size of the games.
How Many Games Can a Nintendo Switch Lite Store?
The Switch Lite’s internal memory can hold approximately five games. The Nintendo Switch Lite has 32 GB of internal memory, but with the system software taking up 3 GB, you only have 29 GB of free space. Games typically take up 3–8 GB of storage space.
The number of games you can store varies depending on their size and whether they are physical or digital. Physical games do not require the entire game to be downloaded, whereas digital games can take up a lot of space.
When asked how many games a Nintendo Switch can hold, a common tip is to download smaller games. Larger games, on the other hand, can be transferred to a memory card.
You can add up to 1 TB of storage to your Nintendo Switch Lite with a memory card, allowing you to store hundreds of games.
Is an SD Card for the Switch Worth It?
Yes, an SD card for the Nintendo Switch is worth it. The standard model only has 32GB of internal memory, which is insufficient for games that can take up a lot of space. The Dragon Quest Heroes bundle pack, for example, is larger than the Switch’s internal storage capacity, and Nintendo recommends downloading it to an SD card.
The average AAA game today is between 40GB and 60GB, so the Switch will be limited in terms of storage space without external storage. Every Switch console supports up to 2TB of MicroSD cards, which are inexpensive and simple to install.
All it entails is inserting the card into the slot behind the kickstand on the original Switch or OLED models or plugging it into the Switch Lite.
With the Switch’s continued popularity and upcoming game releases, it might be time to consider purchasing one of the best SD cards for the Switch.
Which SD Cards Work with the Switch?
Officially licensed Nintendo Switch microSD cards, according to Nintendo Support, are the best options. A standard SD card or a miniSD card will not work. The Switch specifically requires a microSD card. The Nintendo Switch accepts the following microSD cards:
- MicroSD: Up to 2 GB.
- MicroSDHC: 4 GB to 32 GB
- MicroSDXC: 64 GB and above.
To use a microSDXC card on the Nintendo Switch, a system update is required. To improve your gameplay experience, we recommend using a microSD card with a high transfer speed.
It is best to use a UHS-I (Ultra High-Speed Phase I) compatible card with a transfer speed of 60 to 95 MB/sec.
The SanDisk Ultra 128GB MicroSD is the best Nintendo Switch SD card for the majority of users. With 200GB and 64GB of storage, the SanDisk Ultra 200GB MicroSD and SanDisk Ultra 64GB MicroSD are also viable options.
If you want to try a different brand, the Silicon Power 1TB Superior SD card is also a good choice.
What MicroSD Card Size Should I Purchase?
At the moment, the best MicroSD card capacity options range from 64GB to 1TB, with SanDisk offering a 1TB option. However, we recommend that you go for the 200-256GB range because a 128GB card will quickly fill up. Concentrate on capacity rather than speed, as the Switch only supports UHS-1 cards with a theoretical maximum speed of 104MB/s.
You can save money by getting multiple cards and switching between them as needed.
The Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite have 32GB of internal storage, while the Switch OLED has 64GB, which may be insufficient for those who purchase a lot of digital games.
Invest in a larger microSD card to ensure you have enough storage.
Is SD Card Speed Important On Switch?
Yes, but there’s a catch! When it comes to game loading times, a faster SD card can make a significant difference in the Nintendo Switch’s performance. It can help you save time waiting on loading screens, but there is a limit. However, keep in mind that capacity is also important.
Because the Nintendo Switch can only transfer data at up to 95 MB/s, a faster SD card may not be required. It is preferable to spend money on capacity rather than speed because storage is easily underestimated.
As long as the SD card is UHS-I, you will get comparable or even slightly faster loading times than a faster-rated card.
How Many Games Can a 128GB SSD Hold on Nintendo Switch?
Based on an average of 6.7GB per title and unusable storage space on the card itself, a 128GB SSD can hold approximately 19 Nintendo Switch games. The size of Switch games, on the other hand, varies greatly, ranging from a few MBs to over 20GB.
So, the number of games a switch can hold with a 128GB SSD is determined by the size of the games you choose to install.
You can transfer game data from one SSD to another on a regular basis to increase the number of games that can be stored. This way, you can use one SSD as a backup or storage space while the other serves as the primary storage device.
This way, you can keep unused data elsewhere and transfer it to your SSD card as needed.
How Many Switch Games Can a 1TB Hard Drive Store?
A 1TB memory card can store approximately 150 games with an average game size of 6.7GB. Breath of the Wild, one of the Switch’s largest games, takes up around 13.4GB of storage space, and this 1TB memory card can hold up to 74 copies of the game.
The SanDisk Ultra is an excellent choice for this. It is simple to set up and works with all Switch models, including the original, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED. It has a 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Amazon.
How Do You Transfer Games From Your Switch to an SD Card?
Follow these steps to transfer games from your Nintendo Switch to a microSD card:
- Step 1: Insert the MicroSD Card.
- Switch off your Switch and slide the microSD card into the slot beneath the kickstand.
- Step 2: Navigate to “System Settings” on the Switch’s Home Screen.
- Step 3: Scroll Down and Select “Data Management”
- Step 4: Click the “Move Data Between System / MicroSD Card” button.
- Step 5: Select “Move to MicroSD Card”.
- Step 6: Choose the game(s) or app(s) to transfer.
- Step 7: Select “Move Data” and confirm.
The game will now be copied to the microSD card. It should be noted that game save data cannot be transferred to the card and will remain on the console’s local storage.
The microSD card can store screenshots and videos, but there is a limit to the number of files that can be stored.
What is the storage capacity of a Switch OLED?
The Nintendo Switch OLED model has 64GB of internal storage, which is a significant increase over the standard Switch and Switch Lite models, which have 32GB of onboard storage.
However, some of this storage is set aside for the console’s operating system and related files. Approximately 6.1GB of storage is occupied for system files during the initial setup of the original console, leaving you with approximately 57.9GB of usable space for storing your content.
In short, when you first use a brand-new Switch OLED console, you can expect to have approximately 57GB of available storage space.
How many games can be saved on the Switch OLED?
The size of the games determines the number of games that can be stored on a Nintendo Switch OLED.
Individual game sizes can vary greatly, with some smaller titles taking up a few hundred megabytes and larger games taking up several gigabytes. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes up 18GB of storage space, whereas Among Us takes up only about 400MB.
To give you an idea, assuming an average game size of 5GB, you could fit 11-12 games on a Switch OLED with 57.9GB of usable space. However, keep in mind that this figure will vary depending on the size of the games you choose to install.
How to Increase the Storage Capacity of the Switch OLED
A microSD card can be used to expand the storage capacity of the Switch OLED.
The Nintendo Switch supports microSD memory cards, which allow you to externally store additional games, downloadable content, and other digital content. According to Nintendo, the Nintendo Switch OLED supports the following microSD card types:
- microSD card (up to 2GB)
- microSDHC (4GB–32GB)
- microSDXC (64GB and higher)
Because the Nintendo Switch can only transfer data at around 95MB/s, it’s important to note that even if you buy a high-speed microSD card, it will be limited by this limit.
Conclusion
So, how many games can a switch accommodate? The model of your Nintendo Switch determines this. The standard Switch has 32 GB of storage, which is enough for 4-8 games.
The Switch Lite has 32 GB of internal memory, with the system software taking up 3 GB, leaving you with 29 GB of free space.
An SD card for the Switch can provide additional storage, with the Switch supporting microSD cards with capacities of up to 2 TB.
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