'Lego City Undercover' On Nintendo Switch Faces Backlash Over 13GB Install

If you’re a new Nintendo Switch console owner and want to pick up Lego City Undercover, consider investing in a large microSD card as well.

Read: Nintendo Switch Games Load Slowest On Cartridges, Use Storage Or SD Card

A reddit user, via Digital Trends, got a copy of Lego City Undercover and found that the game needs a mandatory 13GB installation before you can play it. The game’s box also mentions that it requires an internet connection, though it’s unclear if it’s just for the pre-game install or for other applications.

While retail versions of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 games have long required additional installs, it’s far more of a problem for the Switch, which comes with only 32GB of internal storage. The Switch supports microSDXC cards to add to the console’s storage, but for a lot of Switch owners, having to use nearly half the console’s storage to store installation files for one game is a dealbreaker.

“Forcing physical card buyers to download half of the game is totally unacceptable,” user anh86 said. “Why not just put a plastic game card shell in there and have me download it all?! Totally stupid, won't buy.”

Read: Nintendo Switch Accessory Buyer's Guide: SD Cards, Cases And Everything Else You Need

But for developers and publishers, the process behind Switch cartridges is more complicated. As Eurogamer previously reported, Switch cartridges come in sizes ranging from 1GB to 32GB, and the cost of individual cartridges increases for manufacturers depending on its capacity. As a result, publishers have to weigh factors like game size and potential sales before choosing a cartridge size.