Final Fantasy 14 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 next month, marking a milestone for MMO fans but also posing a significant storage challenge. According to the Switch eShop listing, the game requires 117.2 GB of free space, nearly half of the console's built-in SSD. The package includes the base game and all five expansions released over the past decade: Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, Endwalker, and Dawntrail. Each expansion adds new stories, classes, and activities, dramatically increasing the file size. Square Enix titles are notorious for their large installs on Switch 2, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth taking up 90 GB and 95 GB respectively. This makes purchasing a microSD Express card almost mandatory to expand storage.
microSD Express Card Prices Have Nearly Doubled
The most straightforward solution is a microSD Express card, but prices have skyrocketed due to a global NAND flash shortage and surging demand from AI data centers. Prices have doubled in recent months. For instance, the Lexar 1TB microSD Express originally retailed for $220 but now costs $350. Even budget-friendly options like the Samsung P9 256GB (from $55 to $80), the SanDisk 512GB (from $100 to $130), and the Lexar Play Pro 1TB (from $220 to $350) are significantly more expensive than a year ago. This price hike affects all Switch 2 owners who want to play Final Fantasy 14 without sacrificing other games.
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The Component Crisis Hits PCs and Traditional Consoles Too
The issue extends beyond Nintendo. On PC and consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, RAM, SSD, and GPU prices are soaring. Several companies have already announced console price increases, with more hikes forecast. Upgrading a PC has become prohibitively expensive, forcing many users to buy one component per month to complete a build. In this context, buying Final Fantasy 14 on Switch 2 requires careful budgeting, as usable space shrinks dramatically. Similar to the storage concerns highlighted in the DJI Lito 1 review, memory is a critical factor not to be overlooked. For a different perspective on managing digital overload, one can read about a 14-day experiment eliminating artificial light, an example of how technology impacts daily life.
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