Switch Rumors: No External HD Support; 128 GB SD Cards
We’ve got two more rumors from Laura Dale at Let’s Play Video Games, a source that has proven correct in the past. This time around it’s concerning the storage of the Nintendo Switch. Since the console can be taken with you, we figured Nintendo would treat it like a 3DS and allow storage via SD Cards.
It turns out the rumors point to the system utilizing Micro SD Cards (the same ones used in the New Nintendo 3DS systems), except instead of maxing out at 32 GB, the Switch will allow up to 128 GB of storage. Apparently the Micro SD slot is located beneath the kickstand on the Switch. It’s unknown whether this upper limit of storage will be in retail units or not, but apparently it’s the case for the development models.
When the Switch is docked and being played on the television, my initial thought was that an external hard drive would be able to be hooked up via one of the USB ports on the dock to expand storage. Unfortunately, this appears to not be the case because Nintendo believes it could hamper the customer’s ability to take the Switch on the go. Nintendo is big on the idea of simply removing the Switch from the dock and having the game instantly move from the TV to the handheld without any sort of syncing or transfer of data needing to take place.
Technically speaking there’s probably not anything preventing Nintendo from allowing an external hard drive, but it doesn’t line up with the way they expect the device to be used in the real-world. This is one of those things that could be added later if demand for it exists, but for now it looks like external drives will not be supported at launch.
[Source: Let’s Play Video Games]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
