Switch 2 Cartridge games are slower than downloads – Tests confirm
Switch 2 Cartridges found to offer slower loading times than digital downloads
Cartridge-based Nintendo Switch 2 games are significantly slower than the same games on system storage or MicroSD Express cards. That’s what Digital Foundry has uncovered in their testing.
This means that Switch 2 users who care about game loading times should opt for digital game downloads over game cartridges. This can shave seconds off game loading times, seconds that add up over the console’s lifespan.
When booting Mario Kart World, loading the game using system memory or MicroSD Express storage took around 16 seconds. For the game’s cartridge, startup times were almost 25 seconds. For loading individual races, Mario Kart World’s game cartridge also took significantly longer to load.
| Switch 2 Loading Times | System Memory | Game Cartridge | MicroSD Express |
| Mario Kart World (Game Startup) | 16.42 seconds | 24.90 seconds | 15.92 seconds |
| Mario Kart World (Race Loading) | 6.57 seconds | 11.83 seconds | 8.03 seconds |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 23.30 seconds | 29.30 seconds | 23.25 seconds |
In all tests, cartridge-based Nintendo Switch 2 games had slower loading times than using internal or MicroSD Express storage. Overall, the Switch 2’s internal storage was faster than using MicroSD Express cards, though the performance gap was small.
While cartridge-based games remain preferable for some users (for trading, reselling, etc), gamers who desire the fastest loading times should opt for digital game downloads. This will enable snappier loading times on Nintendo’s new game system.
You can join the discussion on Switch 2’s cartridges being slower than internal and MicroSD storage on the OC3D Forums.
