Nintendo meets need for external Switch storage with official cards

Nintendo has said that some Switch games will require external storage to run, and it is launching an official line of memory cards to address the isue.

The Switch has 32GB of internal storage, with a portion of that taken up by the OS. To date, most of the more popular games have been comfortably beneath that total - 7GB for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and 13.4GB for Zelda: Breath of the Wild - but it has been clear since February that games would eventually arrive that would test that limit.

Nintendo is now preparing for that moment, striking a partnership with Western Digital Corporation for a line of officially branded SanDisk memory cards. In a statement released yesterday, Nintendo said that, "a microSD card will be needed for certain Nintendo Switch games that contain an especially large amount of content and require additional storage for players to enjoy the full experience."

The cards will be available in 64GB and 128GB sizes, and will principally be useful to Switch owners who prefer digital downloads to purchasing cartridges. However, the fact that Nintendo's statement emphasises its "continually growing library of diverse downloadable games and content," it may not be too long before most Switch users start running short of room.

"These new Nintendo-licensed memory cards provide significant additional storage for digital content," said Tom Prata, Nintendo of America's SVP of Strategic Initiatives, in a statement. "In many retail locations they will be conveniently displayed alongside Nintendo Switch games and accessories."

The cards will be available at selected retailers in October 2017. No pricing information has been released.