Ehh, the median PS4 game is still way below 20 GB, and given Switch will indeed have many more titles that come from a handheld pedigree or developed primarily for Switch its average will probably be even less. The gamer who insists on downloading all their AAA western games and doing so on Switch might run into trouble, sure.
Release MB
Various 16/11/04 32
Meteos 10/03/05 64
Rub Rabbits 20/10/05 128
ASH 04/10/07 256
Ni no Kuni 09/12/10 512
SSF:IV 26/02/11 2048
RE:R 26/01/12 4096Thanks. I've just looked over DS and 3DS game card sizes to try to find when each size was first used, although it's tricky to find reliable sources on these things, and I've updated the graph:
For the trend line I've just used the size of launch games for each device, as I feel that's the most appropriate for our current discussion. (A game like Ni No Kuni releasing in 2010 probably wasn't pushing the boundaries of technology at the time, considering 2GB 3DS games arrived just two months later). I've also seen other claims that Ni No Kuni was actually a 256MB game card, and it seems Rub Rabbits was the first 128MB, so I honestly can't be 100% certain on anything other than the launch games anyway.
Here's the data, in case anyone has any corrections:
Code:Release MB Various 16/11/04 32 Meteos 10/03/05 64 Rub Rabbits 20/10/05 128 ASH 04/10/07 256 Ni no Kuni 09/12/10 512 SSF:IV 26/02/11 2048 RE:R 26/01/12 4096
I've offered a solution. Pack in a really beefy microSD. 256GB minimum.
Somehow I doubt that Zelda will be very big, without voices or FMVs to run. Smash is huge because of its enormous library of music and sounds, along with all of the videos.
Nintendo's not bundling a 256GB microSD. If we're lucky the DX model might have a 128GB internal drive or something.
If they're packing it in for everyone, it should be internal rather than a card. Aside from that, it'd be a big waste of money to toss in the current most expensive card when most people won't need it.
If it were as cheap as you're suggesting, why would they even consider 32GB? Spite?AzaK said:
Without actually getting into factors that would change it, following the pattern of a decade seems a solid place to start for me.jnWake said:
Factors such as...? Tech and cost have evolved pretty steadily (read predictably) over the years. It's a boring but useful graph, and I think pretty safe to go by. No one was saying we take it as gospel, but we have no reason to believe that anything has happened to "accelerate or decelerate the growth rate."
Yeah this seems likely, or the internal memory might allow smaller downloadable games at least. Then for large games they probably figure most people will buy carts.
It's not software size, it's media capacity. And from PS3 to 4 that's flat and not changing.
Not allowing games to run from the SD would be a really awful solution, especially since game cards will probably get larger than any internal storage amount launch units will have.Panajev2001a said:
The problem is with RAM and game file sizes probably dozens of times that of 3DS, what was an acceptable transfer speed for 3DS games could seem slow for Switch games. But yeah, it would be a massive step back in usability to just not let it happen.Easy_D said:
It's a logical enough and many of us assumed the dock would at least allow for USB hard drives like Wii U does, until the rumorfolk who have been right about most other things said it's not happening. I suppose if there's enough outcry Nintendo could patch it in.
To quote myself:
Could work. UI of the data management would have to be very well designed and intuitive to prevent this seeming like too much of a chore, but I'd personally be happy with that solutionMe said: