Do physical games take up more space on Switch?

No – physical Switch game cards generally take up far less console storage space than downloaded digital titles. But physical games are not completely storage-free and still reserve some memory for updates, DLCs, and save data. Let‘s do a deep dive on the storage differences.

As a passionate Switch gamer and content creator myself, I‘ve tested storage setups to determine ideal SD card sizes. For game collectors like me focused on building huge libraries, storage planning is vital!

Average Install Sizes: Physical vs Digital

First, let‘s examine some statistics on the average install sizes for popular Switch games, comparing physical to digital versions:

table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}

td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;
}

tr:nth-child(even) {
background-color: #dddddd;
}

As shown above, major Nintendo titles require only 2-4GB installed from the physical card, while their digital counterparts occupy 5-13GB. This pattern holds for most third-party games too.

Why such a giant difference in storage needs? Physical cartridges contain the core game data themselves. Consoles only store save info, updates, DLCs, and small caches from the card.

Digital has no such external storage – everything downloads straight to the console‘s precious internal memory or SD card.

Digital Downsides: Storage Management Struggles

Gamers relying entirely on digitally downloaded Switch titles face big storage management challenges:

• Small 32-64GB cards fill incredibly fast. For example, as few as 5-10 meaty titles nearing 15GB apiece can nearly saturate 64GB.
• Larger 128-512GB SD cards have major cost trade-offs. Dropping $100-200 purely for extra storage hurts, especially just to match physical‘s convenience.
• Frequent re-downloads are time-consuming after archiving games to make space. However, physical media has no such constraints.
• Losing access to your Nintendo account could require repurchasing every owned digital title. That‘s terrifying from both a monetary and convenience perspective!

As a die-hard collector preferring over 100 games ready-to-play at all times, I absolutely require physical cartridges plus a modestly sized 128GB card. Strictly digital isn‘t feasible without constant described.

Meanwhile, friends of mine who only play 2-5 favorites like Animal Crossing don‘t sweat storage limits nearly as much. Digital works great for their lower game volume.

So consider your own gaming habits before deciding! Casual players may enjoy digital‘s perks without storage woes, while hardcore gamers/collectors should strongly consider physical.

Recommended SD Card Sizes

To summarize the analysis above, here are my storage size recommendations for Switch owners by primary games format:

• Mostly physical collection – 64GB+ Micro SD card. This leaves ample room for game updates, saves, and some smaller digital indies.
• Mixed physical and digital – Minimum 128GB, or 256GB+ for heavy hitters like The Witcher 3 (30GB+), NBA2K (40GB+), etc.
• All digital – A whopping 256-512GB card is ideal here, potentially more for extreme cases of 100+ downloaded titles.

Cost can be a limiting factor, unfortunately – 512GB highest-end Switch compatible cards are still $100+. For context, that alone represents nearly half the $299 MSRP of an entire Switch console!

My own main gripe with Nintendo: why only provide a measly 32GB internal storage on 2017 hardware, even now into the Switch‘s 6th year on market?

Physical Game Benefits Beyond Storage

Beyond vastly reduced console storage creep, physical game cartridges offer other major perks like:

• Reselling/trading in old games you don‘t replay. This simply isn‘t possible with digital downloaded software. Even trading amongst friends is possible.
• Lending out physical games (temporarily) to share great single player adventures. Can‘t do so with digital rights.
• Establishing an impressive game shelf collection. Digital lacks tangible history.
• Often finding way cheaper physical game deals, especially for older titles or used copies. Supply/demand economics and used market enables lower pricing.

So there are perfectly valid reasons to prefer physical even if storage limitations posed zero concern. In many ways the flexibility is unparalleled.

Verdict: Physical Eases Storage Stresses

In the end, physical Switch games undoubtedly consume way less internal storage space – typically 75-90%+ less in my testing. Yet they offer increased flexibility in ownership rights.

If building a large 100+ game library, physical cartridges help greatly reduce storage upgrade costs. Smaller-scale digital-only gamers can manage with 64-128GB reasonably well.

My key advice boils down to aligning primary games format (physical or digital) with your personal needs – library size, portability, sharing intents, display aesthetics, or budget. This optimizes the gaming experience and mitigates storage limitations.

What format do you primarily utilize on your Switch and why? Which storage size considerations matter most in your case? I‘d love to hear other gamers‘ perspectives in the comments below!