Summary
Mario Kart Worldwill have a smaller install size than initially announced, coming in at under 22 GB, according to a recent update on several of Nintendo’s eShop listings. The unexpected revision, made without any fanfare, arrives days ahead ofMario Kart World’s much-anticipated launch.
The 2025 installment in theMario Kartfranchiseis slated for release on June 5, exclusively on the Switch 2, which arrives on the same day. Based on both brand value and lifetime series sales,Mario Kart Worldis positioned as the flagship title of the Switch 2 launch lineup.
In the run-up to the open-world racer’s release, Nintendo revised its publicly listed file size. As initially spotted byNintendo Life, both the U.S. and Japanese eShop listings for the Switch 2 exclusive state that it requires 21.9 GB of storage space as of May 31. Previously,Mario Kart Worldwas listed as weighing 23.4 GB, with the recent change thus marking a 6.41% decrease. Game Rant’s subsequent review of international listings suggests several other country-specific eShop storefronts have also been updated to reflect the lower figure, including those for Canada and the Netherlands.
Mario Kart World Installation Size History
The circumstances behind the reduced file size remain unclear and are unlikely to be addressed, as Nintendo typically does not provide updates on technical processes such as game compression, even when the impact is notable. WhileMario Kart Worldwill launch with a smaller-than-expected file size, that does not rule out the possibility of the game growing over time, whether through minor updates or major content drops. The latter will always be a possibility, as shown by recent history, in whichMario Kart 8 Deluxereceived its first DLC pack half a decade following its 2017 release.
The Switch 2 will launch with 256 GB of internal flash storage, an eightfold increase over its predecessor. This capacity will be further expandable by up to 2 TB via microSD Express cards, not to be confused with the old microSD cards used by the original Switch. While the form factor is identical, Nintendo’s first hybrid console was designed for an older external storage technology standard, based on the UHS-I specification. Compared to that tech, microSD Express cards offer up to ten times faster read/write speeds.
The launch lineup of Switch 2-certified microSD Express cards tops out at 256 GB. Higher-capacity models are expected to hit the market in the months and years following the console’s release. TheSwitch 2 will require a day-one update to enable microSD Express support. Installing the patch will also be a prerequisite for playing games.
