Retro game publisher ININ Games accidentally revealed that Nintendo might offer "two smaller cartridge sizes" for the Nintendo Switch 2 while promoting its new title, R-Type Dimensions III, but then quickly deleted the post to quell the controversy.
Did you accidentally let it slip?
In its initial post, ININ Games mentioned that Nintendo would provide the Nintendo Switch 2 with...New small-capacity cartridge optionsThis is crucial for publishers like them that release retro or indie games, as it allows them to recalculate production costs and thus be more willing to offer physical cartridge versions of games like R-Type Dimensions III that don't require much storage space.
Current market rumors widely suggest that the standard physical cartridge capacity for the Nintendo Switch 2 will be significantly increased to 64GB to accommodate the storage requirements of 4K graphics and AAA game files. However, forcing a 64GB cartridge capacity for a 2D side-scrolling shooter that may only be 4GB or 8GB is clearly wasteful and would also lead to excessively high costs, which would ultimately be passed on to consumers, or perhaps a digital version would be released exclusively.
Emergency Withdrawal: All matters are subject to Nintendo's official stance.
However, after the post sparked heated discussion, ININ Games quickly deleted the relevant content and posted a statement on its official website and social media.Correction Statement.
The statement emphasized: "Nintendo has not released any official announcements or confirmations regarding cartridge storage capacity. Any mention of a specific storage size should not be considered official information from Nintendo." Although the company was eager to distance itself, this seemingly obvious attempt to deny the existence of smaller cartridges only strengthened the outside world's belief in their existence.
ININ Games retracts their statement about the new smaller Switch 2 carts.
"There has been no official announcement or confirmation from Nintendo concerning cartridge storage capacities. Any references to specific storage sizes should not be interpreted as official information from Nintendo."
— Wario64 (@wario64.bsky.social) 2025年12月20日 凌晨1:25
Analysis: The Necessary Evil to Solve the "Nintendo Switch Tax"
In my opinion, if this news is true, it is definitely an extremely smart move by Nintendo in its Switch 2 strategy.
In the current Nintendo Switch era, we often see the so-called "Nintendo Switch Tax," partly because the production cost of cartridges is much higher than that of discs. This leads many third-party manufacturers to use small-capacity cartridges to save money, then include a "Download Required" note in the box, or cause physical versions to be significantly more expensive than digital versions.
If the Nintendo Switch 2's cartridge capacity starts at 64GB, it would be a devastating blow to the booming indie game market. Offering "smaller, cheaper" cartridge options like 8GB and 16GB would not only lower the barrier to entry for release but also meet the needs of physical collectors, preventing physical games from becoming an extreme case of "only AAA titles are worth owning." For Nintendo, which wants to maintain its "hardware and software dominance" ecosystem with the Nintendo Switch 2, this is definitely more beneficial than harmful.
