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Gaming

Final Fantasy 14 Devours Half of Switch 2's Storage on Day One

Emily Chen 0 comments 5 min read
Final Fantasy 14 Devours Half of Switch 2's Storage on Day One

Final Fantasy 14 arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 next month as a storage monster, consuming 117.2GB of the console's 256GB total memory. The MMO will claim nearly 46 percent of the handheld's built-in drive before a player launches a single quest, according to an eShop listing that surfaced this week.

The file size dwarfs the PS5 version, which runs at roughly half that footprint thanks to compression technology unavailable on Switch 2. It mirrors the game's PC install footprint, reflecting the sheer volume of content accumulated across the title's decade-plus lifecycle.

The sprawling download does come with one advantage: all five existing expansions ship in the box. Players won't need additional storage to access Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, Endwalker, or Dawntrail content. That respite evaporates next January when the sixth expansion, Evercold, launches and demands even more real estate.

Square Enix has become something of a heavyweight champion in Switch 2 storage wars. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth held the single-game record at 91.8GB before Final Fantasy 14's arrival. The publisher's Kingdom Hearts Collection bundle still owns the overall crown at 131GB for three titles combined.

Game director Naoki Yoshida announced the August 4 launch at Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin, arriving alongside a slate of incoming updates. Square Enix is sweetening the initial window with a subscription-free first month to ease server stability during the flood of new players. After that promotional period ends, the usual paid subscription model kicks in.

Storage anxiety may become the real barrier to entry for Switch 2 owners considering the jump into Final Fantasy 14. Unless players spring for an external SD card, the MMO will effectively claim half their console's usable space, leaving limited room for other titles.

Author Emily Chen: "Square Enix is betting that Final Fantasy 14's dedicated playerbase won't balk at nuking their Switch 2 storage, but this is a consumer unfriendliness that even the biggest games shouldn't require."

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