Nintendo Postpones 64 GB Titles Until 2019
Last week, Nintendo has announced a major roadblock to development of data-heavy games for the Nintendo Switch. The company revealed that it will delay the delivery of 64GB game cards for the hybrid console which means developers to make do with the current 32 GB cartridges for their games.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is delaying the release of 64 GB cartridges due to "technical issues." The company had planned to release the high-capacity cartridges by the second-half of this year but has since moved it to 2019.
The Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo boasting 10 million units sold before the end of its first year. Its innovative design which allows both home and handheld use made it popular to gamers who wanted the best of both worlds.
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However, its portable design also gives rise to one of the machine's greatest flaw. Unlike the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 both of which are capable of using Blu-ray discs, the Switch requires the use of much smaller cartridges.
Unlike Blu-ray disks, which are capable of storing up to 50 GB of game data, Nintendo's cartridges are only capable of up to 32 GB, at least for now. This severely limits the capabilities of most games as developers try to fit everything in such a limited space. This also makes it impossible for data-heavy titles to make their way to the hybrid console, at least in physical form.
By deferring the release of 64 GB cartridges, it's probably safe to assume that Switch owners will not be able to enjoy a number of this year's AAA game releases. And it's not just consumers that are upset as many US-based software makers, in particular, were reportedly disappointed by the news.
There's also the consideration of the so-called "Switch tax" where the additional cost of Nintendo's cartridges is passed on to gamers. Currently, physical copies of Switch games cost as much as $10 more compared to the Xbox One and PS4. With 64 GB cartridges expected to cost more than the current 32 GB mainstays, gamers can also expect data-heavy titles to cost more.
