How Many Gigs Does Pokémon Take Up on Nintendo Switch in 2023?

As a hardcore Pokémon fan and gaming guide creator, one question I get constantly is: "How huge are the latest Pokémon installs on Nintendo Switch?" Newcomers are often shocked at just how much storage space modern Pokémon games demand compared to the Game Boy era. Well friends, let this be your guide to Pokémon install sizes in 2023!

With the recent November 2022 release of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet for Nintendo Switch, the Pokémon RPG series hit a new data storage milestone: Approximately 14GB for the combo pack. That puts them as the biggest Pokémon games ever in terms of pure installation footprint.

But exactly why do the latest Pokémon adventures require so much more disk space than retro entries? And how do Scarlet and Violet compare storage-wise to other contemporary Switch titles like 2021‘s Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl or 2022‘s Pokémon Legends: Arceus? Let‘s break it down!

A Quick History of Pokémon Game Install Sizes

To start, let‘s look back at storage requirements for classic Pokémon RPGs across various Nintendo platforms to put the numbers in perspective:

• Pokémon Red/Blue (Game Boy – 1996) = 0.5 MB
• Pokémon Gold/Silver (Game Boy Color – 1999) = 4 MB
• Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire (Game Boy Advance – 2002) = 16 MB
• Pokémon Diamond/Pearl (Nintendo DS – 2006) = 64 MB
• Pokémon Black 2/White 2 (Nintendo DS – 2012) = 256 MB

As you can see, Pokémon games traditionally had very modest installation footprints by today‘s standards – sitting comfortably in the MB instead of GB range. The limited processing power and cartridge storage space of vintage hardware kept things lean.

But with the move to far more capable platforms like Nintendo Switch, installment sizes have dramatically increased thanks to…

Factors Driving Modern Pokémon Game Install Sizes

There are three core reasons why recent Pokémon RPG titles require exponentially more disk space than their retro predecessors:

1. Cutting Edge Graphics & Sound

Modern Pokémon games feature full HD graphics, textures, elaborate animations, 3D environments and cutscenes – lightyears beyond old-school 2D sprites. This visual fidelity comes at the cost of beefier game installs. Plus, orchestrated soundtracks and voice acting add up quick.

2. Massive Open World Game Maps

Recent main entries like Pokémon Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet boast completely seamless open worlds rather than segmented routes and dungeons. These sprawling contiguous game maps packed with detail are storage hogs!

3. Post-Launch Updates & DLC

Another factor specific to Nintendo Switch is post-release patches, tweaks, additions and full blown paid DLC like the Sword/Shield Expansion Pass. These constant updates bloat install sizes over time.

Combine those elements and you have a perfect storm driving Pokémon data demands ever skyward as the series leverage cutting-edge Switch hardware!

Install Size Breakdown: Recent Pokémon Games on Switch

Now, let‘s analyze the installation footprints of the last few Nintendo Switch Pokémon RPG titles leading up to Scarlet & Violet:

Pokémon Let‘s Go Pikachu/Eevee, remakes of Pokémon Yellow, clock in at a nimble 4GB each – proof that a full modern Pokémon RPG entry can still be storage-friendly. However, Sword/Shield upped the ante to over 10GB at launch for the base games. The Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLC areas add several GB on top.

2021‘s Shining Pearl/Brilliant Diamond remakes weighed in at a surprisingly beefy 10GB apiece – proof that even straightforward remasters demand ample storage resources. However Pokémon Legends: Arceus downsized to 6GB with its new open zones.

And that brings us current to 2022‘s record-setting Scarlet/Violet duo…

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Break Franchise Storage Records

• Release Date: November 2022
• Install Size: Approximately 7 GB each (14GB total)

The latest main series Pokémon RPG titles for Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet utterly shattered franchise records for install footprint upon their November 2022 debut – eclipsing even the revamped Sword/Shield combo pack. Let‘s discuss why…

Scarlet/Violet incorporates cutting edge technical ambitions like:

• Fully open world game map without any borders or loading screens
• Dynamic weather and day/night cycles
• Seamless co-op multiplayer adventuring
• Further enhanced visuals and sound

All those elements contribute to ballooning storage needs. Game Freak pulled out all the stops to push Switch hardware to the limits this generation!

In the end Scarlet/Violet might flaunt comparable texture quality and fidelity to something like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – hence the similar install demand. This signals another step toward Pokémon matching top Nintendo franchises for technical prowess!

Pokémon Go Mobile Game Size – Data Usage Stats

Beyond Switch installs, let‘s also quickly touch on mobile sensation Pokémon Go:

• Release Date: July 2016
• Data Usage: Roughly 0.003 – 0.025 GB per hour

Due to lighter visual loads, less consistent updates, and always-online connectivity, Pokémon Go sits at well under 0.03 GB of mobile data consumed per hour of catch n‘ battling gameplay. So you need not worry about it eating up precious bandwidth!

Pokémon Install Size Creep – What Does The Future Hold?

While Scarlet/Violet currently crown the heap at close to 15GB total, the forecast likely calls for further Pokémon install size creep with future franchise entries and hardware generations. I‘d expect incremental steps upward absent compression breakthroughs.

However, a theoretical Pokémon title launching late in the Switch lifespan could potentially flirt with Pokémon Sword/Shield plus full Expansion Pass levels given DLC ambitions – putting it around 15-16GB plus. That may mark the Switch‘s practical ceiling.

Once Nintendo‘s next-gen console arrives, presumably 4+ years down the road, all bets are off! New Pokémon RPGs built strictly to leverage that more powerful, advanced platform will surely far surpass Scarlet/Violet. But that‘s a challenge for the future.

For now, Switch owners can rest easy knowing Pokémon Scarlet/Violet pushes the system nearly as far as possible from a storage consumption angle – while still retaining franchise magic! Let me know if you have any other questions about Pokémon install sizes – old or new!