Switch 2 cartridge sizes

A new technical analysis suggests some Nintendo Switch 2 game cards may come in more than one capacity, not just the 64 gigabyte format discussed before. (nintenderos.com) The report, published April 13, points to a Spawn Wave video comparing the chips inside *Mario Kart World* and *MIO: Memories in Orbit*. Nintenderos said the chips carry different markings, “G6” on *Mario Kart World* and “G4” on *MIO*, and the theory is that those codes map to storage size. (nintenderos.com) In plain terms, a game card is the storage chip inside the plastic cartridge, and bigger capacities cost more to manufacture. Nintendo already sells two kinds of Switch 2 physical media: regular game cards with the game data on them, and Game-Key Cards that only trigger a download. (nintendo.com) Nintendo’s support page says a Game-Key Card does not contain the full game and requires an internet download plus free space on the system or a microSD Express card. Nintendo’s official Switch 2 store page says the console launched June 5, 2025 with 256 gigabytes of internal storage. (nintendo.com 1) (nintendo.com 2) That storage tradeoff has shaped the format debate around Switch 2 physical releases since launch. If publishers only have an expensive large-capacity card available, smaller games are more likely to ship as downloads or as Game-Key Cards instead of full on-cartridge releases. (nintendo.com) (nintendolife.com) The 64 gigabyte figure came from CD Projekt Red in April 2025, when a company representative said *Cyberpunk 2077* used the “highest capacity” Switch 2 card and described 64 gigabytes as the system’s maximum cart size. Nintendo has not published an official list of card capacities. (nintendolife.com) Rumors about smaller cards have been circulating since December 19, 2025, when ININ Games said Nintendo had announced two smaller Switch 2 cartridge sizes and that the change helped it plan a full physical release of *R-Type Dimensions III* in the United States and Europe. Later that same day, ININ removed the reference to Nintendo announcing those sizes. (nintenderos.com 1) (nintenderos.com 2) Nintenderos said earlier rumors pointed to 16 gigabyte and 32 gigabyte options, and today’s chip-marking analysis lines up with the lower end of that range by treating “G4” as 16 gigabytes and “G6” as 64 gigabytes. The site also said that interpretation remains theoretical and unconfirmed by Nintendo. (nintenderos.com 1) (nintenderos.com 2) For now, the clearest fact is narrower than the rumor: Nintendo officially supports both full game cards and download-based Game-Key Cards, while outside analysis keeps looking for evidence of cheaper physical options in between. Until Nintendo publishes specifications, the new markings are a clue, not a confirmation. (nintendo.com) (nintenderos.com)