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  "path": "/nintendo-switch-2-storage-prices?utm_campaign=rss",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-18T00:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://sethmlarson.dev",
  "tags": [
    "new digital game pricing strategy",
    "$200 USD in July 2025",
    "smaller than the typical 64GB capacity",
    "MIO: Memories in Orbit",
    "Game Key cards",
    "created a small Python script",
    "$80.00",
    "Lexar 1TB (Costco)",
    "$0.18/GB",
    "22 GB",
    "Lexar 512GB",
    "$0.29/GB",
    "Lexar 1TB",
    "$0.33/GB",
    "Lexar 256GB",
    "$0.35/GB",
    "SanDisk 512GB",
    "SanDisk 256GB",
    "$0.39/GB",
    "SanDisk 128GB",
    "$0.55/GB",
    "$70.00",
    "$60.00",
    "20.6 GB",
    "$30.00",
    "$20.00",
    "4.4 GB",
    "$40.00",
    "90.4 GB"
  ],
  "textContent": "Since my last post about Nintendo Switch 2 storage and prices three major things have happened affecting Switch 2 game prices:\n\n  * Nintendo published a new digital game pricing strategy where digital first-party games would be priced $10 USD less than physical games. This puts the American game market in line with the rest of the world. We'll see below why this change makes sense.\n  * microSD Express cards have increased drastically in price. The Lexar 1TB microSDXC card cost $200 USD in July 2025 and today is being sold for $335 USD from the same retailer. This means that “price-per-GB” has increased ~$0.13 for the highest capacity cards.\n  * Nintendo appears to be manufacturing Switch 2 game cartridges with smaller than the typical 64GB capacity. “MIO: Memories in Orbit” released on a physical cartridge with a $30 price tag. This will hopefully mean fewer games being published to “Game Key cards”, especially smaller or indie games.\n\n\n\nI created a small Python script which produces tables of data comparing physical and digital prices comparing different microSD Express cards and their price-per-GB ratios across different Nintendo Switch 2 games.\n\n## Mario Kart World\n\nThis is the game people think of for the Switch 2, and the $80 USD price tag across both digital and physical provided some sticker shock for many. I did not understand how the $60 USD standard across all games hung on for as long as it did.\n\nThe table below which includes both the price of the game and incremental price of storage (depending on which storage device you purchase) to compare the price between physical and digital.\n\nEdition | Storage | Total Price | Game Price | Storage Price | Game Size\n---|---|---|---|---|---\nPhysical | Cartridge | $80.00 | $80.00 | --- | ---\nDigital | Lexar 1TB (Costco) | $83.87 | $80.00 | $3.87 ($0.18/GB) | 22 GB\nDigital | Lexar 512GB | $86.45 | $80.00 | $6.45 ($0.29/GB) | 22 GB\nDigital | Lexar 1TB | $87.20 | $80.00 | $7.20 ($0.33/GB) | 22 GB\nDigital | Lexar 256GB | $87.73 | $80.00 | $7.73 ($0.35/GB) | 22 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 512GB | $87.73 | $80.00 | $7.73 ($0.35/GB) | 22 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 256GB | $88.59 | $80.00 | $8.59 ($0.39/GB) | 22 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 128GB | $92.03 | $80.00 | $12.03 ($0.55/GB) | 22 GB\n\n## Yoshi and the Mysterious Book\n\nNow we look at the first game with the new pricing structure in the USA: “Yoshi and the Mysterious Book”. The game is priced at $70 USD physically and $60 USD digitally. Compared to Mario Kart World where all digital editions were _more_ expensive than physical when storage costs are factored in: almost all digital editions are cheaper for Yoshi!\n\nEdition | Storage | Total Price | Game Price | Storage Price | Game Size\n---|---|---|---|---|---\nPhysical | Cartridge | $70.00 | $70.00 | --- | ---\nDigital | Lexar 1TB (Costco) | $63.62 | $60.00 | $3.62 ($0.18/GB) | 20.6 GB\nDigital | Lexar 512GB | $66.04 | $60.00 | $6.04 ($0.29/GB) | 20.6 GB\nDigital | Lexar 1TB | $66.74 | $60.00 | $6.74 ($0.33/GB) | 20.6 GB\nDigital | Lexar 256GB | $67.24 | $60.00 | $7.24 ($0.35/GB) | 20.6 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 512GB | $67.24 | $60.00 | $7.24 ($0.35/GB) | 20.6 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 256GB | $68.05 | $60.00 | $8.05 ($0.39/GB) | 20.6 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 128GB | $71.27 | $60.00 | $11.27 ($0.55/GB) | 20.6 GB\n\n## MIO: Memories in Orbit\n\nMIO is the cheapest game to date that is published on a non-“Game Key card” cartridge for the Switch 2 at $30 USD physically and $20 USD digitally. The game being only 4GB means the digital edition is much cheaper than the physical edition.\n\nEdition | Storage | Total Price | Game Price | Storage Price | Game Size\n---|---|---|---|---|---\nPhysical | Cartridge | $30.00 | $30.00 | --- | ---\nDigital | Lexar 1TB (Costco) | $20.77 | $20.00 | $0.77 ($0.18/GB) | 4.4 GB\nDigital | Lexar 512GB | $21.29 | $20.00 | $1.29 ($0.29/GB) | 4.4 GB\nDigital | Lexar 1TB | $21.44 | $20.00 | $1.44 ($0.33/GB) | 4.4 GB\nDigital | Lexar 256GB | $21.55 | $20.00 | $1.55 ($0.35/GB) | 4.4 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 512GB | $21.55 | $20.00 | $1.55 ($0.35/GB) | 4.4 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 256GB | $21.72 | $20.00 | $1.72 ($0.39/GB) | 4.4 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 128GB | $22.41 | $20.00 | $2.41 ($0.55/GB) | 4.4 GB\n\n## Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade\n\nAnd finally, we look at FF7 Remake Intergrade, which according to its Nintendo page is planned to be over 90GB total. This massive game size makes the price to store the game a significant percentage the total price of the game.\n\nEdition | Storage | Total Price | Game Price | Storage Price | Game Size\n---|---|---|---|---|---\nDigital | Lexar 1TB (Costco) | $55.89 | $40.00 | $15.89 ($0.18/GB) | 90.4 GB\nDigital | Lexar 512GB | $66.48 | $40.00 | $26.48 ($0.29/GB) | 90.4 GB\nDigital | Lexar 1TB | $69.57 | $40.00 | $29.57 ($0.33/GB) | 90.4 GB\nDigital | Lexar 256GB | $71.78 | $40.00 | $31.78 ($0.35/GB) | 90.4 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 512GB | $71.78 | $40.00 | $31.78 ($0.35/GB) | 90.4 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 256GB | $75.31 | $40.00 | $35.31 ($0.39/GB) | 90.4 GB\nDigital | SanDisk 128GB | $89.44 | $40.00 | $49.44 ($0.55/GB) | 90.4 GB\n\nIt will be interesting seeing how specifically the availability of new cartridge types will change whether companies use Game Key cards for their games. I suspect the pressure to use Game Key cards will still be high as the cost of storage continues to increase for companies and those costs cuts into margins.\n\nNone of these tables include the benefits and down-sides of each medium. Many digital game buyers like not having to worry about lost or stolen games while in transit or not having to physically store the boxes and cartridges. Many players may not need to increase their Switch 2 storage if they only play a handful of games. And who knows, maybe the price of storage will decrease in the future?\n\nI hope this information helps you make an informed choice when selecting digital or physical Nintendo Switch 2 games in the future. Happy gaming!\n\n\n\n\n* * *\n\nThanks for keeping RSS alive! ♥",
  "title": "More thoughts on Nintendo Switch 2 storage prices",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-18T00:00:00.000Z"
}