The number of games a Nintendo Switch can hold depends on the storage capacity of its internal memory and any microSD cards used, ranging from a handful to hundreds.
Thinking about filling up your Nintendo Switch with awesome titles? It’s a common question, really – how many games can nintendo switch hold before you have to start deleting or adding storage? It’s a fun problem to have for sure.
The internal storage, whether it’s the standard model or the OLED version, quickly fills up with bigger games. Adding a microSD card is a popular way to expand this space.
How Many Games Can Nintendo Switch Hold?
So, you’ve got a Nintendo Switch – awesome! It’s a super fun console, letting you play amazing games on your TV or on the go. But like any good gamer, you might be wondering, “How many games can I fit on this thing?” It’s a great question, and the answer isn’t quite as simple as a single number. It really depends on a few things, and we’re going to break it all down for you. Let’s explore the storage options and figure out just how many digital adventures you can squeeze onto your Nintendo Switch.
Understanding Nintendo Switch Storage
First things first, let’s talk about the storage that comes built into the Nintendo Switch. Think of it like the closet in your room where you keep your clothes and toys. The Nintendo Switch has its own built-in closet for games, and it comes in different sizes depending on which version of the console you have.
Nintendo Switch (Original Model)
The original Nintendo Switch, which launched in 2017, has 32GB of internal storage. Now, that might sound like a lot, but it’s not all available for games. The Switch’s system software, which runs everything, takes up some of that space. So, you actually have around 25.9GB available for games, saved data, screenshots and videos. This means that you may not be able to have a huge collection of digital games if you choose to download them instead of using physical game cards.
Nintendo Switch Lite
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a smaller, more portable version of the Switch, that came later. It also has 32GB of built-in storage, just like the original model. This means you have the same amount of space – roughly 25.9GB – to use for your digital game library and other digital content. Because it’s designed to be a handheld, the storage is especially important since you can’t swap out physical game cards easily while you’re on the go.
Nintendo Switch (OLED Model)
The Nintendo Switch OLED model, which has a beautiful OLED screen, offers something that the other models doesn’t: more storage! The OLED model has 64GB of built-in storage. After the system software has its share, you’ll end up with around 55-58GB of space for all your awesome games, screen captures, and more. This is definitely an improvement over the other models, giving you more space for your expanding digital game collection.
How Big Are Nintendo Switch Games?
Now that we know about the storage space on each Switch model, it’s important to think about how big the games themselves are. The size of games on the Nintendo Switch can vary greatly, just like the sizes of different books in your bookshelf. Some games are small, while others are really big.
Small Games
Some games are quite small, taking up only a few hundred megabytes (MB) or even less. Indie games, classic titles, or puzzle games often fall into this category. For example, a game like Stardew Valley or Hollow Knight may only need a couple of gigabytes each, or even less in the case of a game like Tetris 99.
Medium-Sized Games
Many games, especially those that are bigger in scope but are not AAA titles, fall into the mid-size range. These can be anywhere from 3 to 10 gigabytes (GB) in size. Games with a lot of adventure, RPG elements, or slightly bigger worlds often end up in this category.
Large Games
Big, AAA games from major publishers can take up a lot of space – sometimes even more than 10GB to even more than 20GB. Titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, or NBA 2K23 are often among the largest on the Switch, due to their large open worlds, lots of characters and complex gameplay. These can really eat into your available storage. Sometimes these big games have large updates too that increase their sizes further.
Estimating Game Capacity: How Many Games Can You Actually Fit?
Now for the real question! How many games can your Nintendo Switch actually hold? Since game sizes vary, it’s difficult to give an exact number, but here’s a general idea of how many games you can store based on the built-in storage of your Nintendo Switch console.
Nintendo Switch (Original Model) and Switch Lite
With around 25.9 GB of usable space, if you mostly download smaller games, you might fit a pretty big library of 10, 20, or even more if they are all very small games. However, if you like to play larger, more detailed titles, you might only be able to fit three or four of those kinds of games. You might have a mix of sizes, in that case, you may fit around 10 games in average. A mixture of large, small and medium sized games can vary wildly in numbers.
Rough Estimates for the Original Switch & Lite (25.9 GB of Usable Storage):
- Small Games (Under 2 GB each): Potentially 10-20+ games
- Medium Games (3-10 GB each): 3 to 8 Games
- Large Games (10 GB+ each): 1-3 Games
- Mixture of Sizes: Average around 5 – 10 Games
Nintendo Switch (OLED Model)
The OLED model’s 55-58 GB of usable storage gives you considerably more room to download games. You could store a good collection of around 10 to 20 titles, depending on the games’ sizes. You can download a much larger library of smaller games, and you have way more space to include some really big, impressive titles without running out of storage so quickly.
Rough Estimates for the OLED Switch (55-58 GB of Usable Storage):
- Small Games (Under 2 GB each): 20+ games
- Medium Games (3-10 GB each): 6 to 15 Games
- Large Games (10 GB+ each): 3 – 5 Games
- Mixture of Sizes: Average around 10 – 20 Games
Expanding Your Storage with microSD Cards
Don’t worry if your Switch’s internal storage gets full! There’s an easy solution: microSD cards. These little cards can add a lot more space to your console, letting you store many more games. They’re like adding an extra shelf to your closet for your games. Here’s what you need to know about microSD cards:
Types of microSD Cards
There are two main types of microSD cards that will work in your Nintendo Switch: microSDHC and microSDXC. Here’s a quick explanation:
- microSDHC (micro Secure Digital High Capacity): These cards can store up to 32GB of data.
- microSDXC (micro Secure Digital eXtended Capacity): These cards can store anywhere from 64GB up to 2TB (terabytes).
You can use either kind, but microSDXC is what you need to choose to store larger files. You should consider microSDXC to store multiple games.
Recommended microSD Card Sizes
Here are some common microSD card sizes that people use for their Nintendo Switch, along with how many games you might fit on them:
- 64GB microSD Card: This is a good starting point. It can easily double your storage on original and lite models, and would add more storage to the OLED Switch. With this, you could store around 10-20 more games on an original model, depending on the size of the games.
- 128GB microSD Card: This card offers a lot more space. You will be able to store much larger games, or a large collection of smaller ones. This will give you space to comfortably add a library of games over time, without having to worry about deleting titles.
- 256GB microSD Card: This is an ideal size for dedicated gamers. It gives you a ton of room for a big game library. You may never need to delete games, and be able to store many, many titles, including larger ones.
- 512GB or 1TB microSD Card: This would be recommended only for players who exclusively download a large collection of games. If you plan to store every game you purchase, these will store large libraries of games for a very long time.
Note: The actual number of games you can store varies depending on game sizes and if you have DLC and updates installed for these games. These numbers are estimates that will give you a general idea.
Installing a microSD Card
Adding a microSD card to your Nintendo Switch is really easy. Here’s what to do:
- Turn off your Nintendo Switch completely.
- Open the kickstand on the back of your console.
- You’ll see a small slot, place the microSD card here and gently push it until it clicks into place.
- Turn on the Nintendo Switch. It will automatically recognize the card.
Now that the microSD card is installed, you’ll see the additional storage in your system settings under data management. You can choose to save your downloaded games to the card automatically instead of the internal memory. You can also transfer games from internal storage to your microSD card if needed.
Physical vs. Digital Games and Storage
It’s also important to think about how you buy your games. Nintendo Switch games come in two forms: physical and digital.
Physical Game Cards
Physical games come on small cartridges. When you buy a physical game, you don’t need to download it, as all the game data is on the game card itself. This means the game does not take any space from your system or microSD card’s storage. Physical games are great because you can trade or sell them when you’re done, and they’re easy to keep as collectors’ items. So if you prefer physical games, they’ll not eat into your system’s storage space at all. The only thing that may need to be downloaded are software updates, which are often quite small in size.
Digital Downloads
Digital games are downloaded directly to your Switch’s storage. You buy these from the Nintendo eShop. They are great because you can have access to them instantly, and you never have to worry about losing your game cards. However, they use up storage space on your console or microSD card. This means if you have many downloaded games you may run out of storage very quickly.
If you plan to buy a mix of physical games and digital downloads, you can store more games on your Switch. If you prefer to download all of your games, make sure to buy a large microSD card to store everything.
Tips for Managing Your Nintendo Switch Storage
Running out of space on your Nintendo Switch can be a bit annoying. Here are some tips to help you keep your storage organized and make the most out of your available space:
- Check your storage regularly: Go into your system settings and check how much storage you have left. This way, you won’t be surprised if a game won’t download.
- Archive games you’re not playing: Instead of deleting games, you can archive them. This removes the game from the system but keeps your saved data so you can play them again later. You can re-download the game when you’re ready to play again.
- Delete unnecessary screenshots and videos: Screenshots and videos can take up a lot of space. If you have some saved you don’t need, it’s a good idea to delete them. You can also transfer those images and videos to an external device or cloud storage to free up even more space.
- Transfer data between internal storage and the microSD card: Make sure you’re saving your games to where you want them to go.
- Consider purchasing physical copies if you want to save space: If you mostly buy digital copies, maybe buying some physical games will help free up some storage in your Switch or microSD card.
Managing storage space helps make sure you have enough room for all your digital games and other content. By following these tips, you can enjoy all your games without constantly worrying about running out of space.
So, to sum it up, the number of games your Nintendo Switch can hold really depends on the size of the games you have and whether you choose physical or digital copies. The built-in storage is good for a start, but buying a microSD card to expand your storage is a great way to ensure that you’ll have room for many more of your favorite games.
What SD Card To Buy – Nintendo Switch Guide
Final Thoughts
The number of games your Nintendo Switch can hold depends entirely on storage. Internal memory provides limited space, quickly filling up with larger titles. A microSD card greatly expands the capacity.
Adding a large microSD card is the key to storing many games. This addition will influence how many games can nintendo switch hold. You can store hundreds of smaller titles or a good collection of bigger ones.
Therefore, focus on the size of your chosen memory to optimize your game library.
