As someone who loves gaming, getting my hands on Nintendo‘s hot console, the Switch, was a no-brainer. The hardware delivers whether docked to my TV or as a slick handheld. However, storage space comes at a premium on any modern device. With blockbuster games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild weighing in excess of 13GB per download, managing your storage is essential knowledge.
Luckily, deleting older games you’ve lost interest in or finished playing is straightforward. In this guide, I’ll overview the steps to remove software from your Switch, preserving only the data worth keeping. With some housekeeping, you can maintain a curated game collection that fits nicely within your 32GB onboard capacity or memory card space.
Why You Might Need to Remove Games
First, let’s look at some scenarios where deleting games allows optimal use of your Nintendo Switch storage:
Making Room for New Titles
You picked up the hot new Pokémon Scarlet or Violet release, but get an error when trying to install due to lack of free space. Or perhaps you’re tempted by the latest indie darling on the eShop but just can’t spare another byte on your system. Deleting older games lets you promptly free up capacity for new software downloads without upgrading hardware.
Preserving Save Data
Many users delete games once they’ve completed the main campaign or grown bored of online multiplayer. However, should you ever want to replay the title in future, you likely want your unlocked progression intact. Backing up save data in Nintendo’s cloud or onto a microSD card retains this information so games feel untouched when reinstalled.
Archiving Old Favorites
Maybe you thoroughly enjoyed Super Mario Odyssey but have moved onto other adventures. Instead of outright deleting beloved games, Nintendo lets you archive them. This removes software while remembering it linked to your account, so you can easily redownload whenever nostalgia calls. Archived games appear with a cloud icon for one-click restoration.
Wiping Games Before Reselling
When giving away or selling your Switch secondhand in future, you’ll certainly want to delete any personal games and data first. A full wipe keeps sensitive profiles, payment details and gameplay progress private from the next owner.
As you can see, learning to delete games benefits all players in making the best use of their Nintendo Switch storage capacity. Next I’ll cover how to actually remove software and preserve only what’s necessary.
Step-By-Step: How to Delete Games on Nintendo Switch
Deleting digital games from your Nintendo Switch only takes moments once you know how. Just follow these steps:
1. Highlight the Game From Your Home Screen
While viewing the Switch home screen showing all your installed games and apps, navigate to the tile representing the title you wish to remove. Select it by moving the analog stick on your Joy-Con or Pro controller and pressing A to highlight the game.
For this example, let’s choose Super Mario Party as our game to remove.
2. Access Game Management Options
With Super Mario Party selected, press either the + button on the right Joy-Con or the – button on standard left Joy-Con. If using a Pro controller, tap the equivalent + or – buttons.
This brings up a management screen dedicated specifically to that game‘s controls, updates, play activity and storage preferences.
3. Choose Manage Software
Look along the left side of the freshly opened management screen for the Manage Software button. Select this to view dedicated options around game data storage and removal.
From here, you get robust control over exactly how much game data to erase from the console.
4. Select Delete Software
Within the Manage Software screen that appears, pick the large Delete Software button seen towards the middle of the interface.
This initiates the permanent deletion process, prompting you to confirm removal before any data disappears.
5. Confirm Game Deletion
After selecting Delete Software, Nintendo rightly double checks that you definitely want to erase this game. Choose Delete on this pop-up message to authorize complete removal of the game from your Switch‘s storage.
Once confirmed, the game immediately deletes from view on your home screen. A brief “Software Deleted” message displays too. And just like that extra storage capacity is freed up while retaining precious save files!
Note: Archiving a game removes software while still linking that purchase to your account for later reinstallation. I prefer this method for retaining ownership rights to beloved games I may replay down the road.
Backup Up Game Saves Before Deletion
Because game save data works separately from the installed software on Nintendo Switch, removing a game can also destroy progress or record of your gameplay statistics and unlocks.
Before ever deleting, first check if there’s important save data you’ll want to keep through the process. You can manually backup all game data by going through:
System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud > Save Data Backup
This syncs and uploads your save containers to Nintendo’s cloud servers or a inserted microSD card, allowing seamless restoration even once software gets wiped. My recommendation is regularly backing up game progress so deletion remains worry-free.
Adding Extra Nintendo Switch Storage
Rather than constantly be deleting and juggling games to make space, I strongly advise picking up a sizeable microSD card for mass storage expansion.
Portable yet spacious 256GB and 512GB options from reputable brands like Sandisk now retail very affordably while multiplying onboard capacity tenfold. Inserting an SD card lets you always keep favorite games archived rather than repeatedly downloading 30+ GB of data.
When shopping, aim for read speeds of at least 90-95MB/s to prevent lag. Nintendo endorses certain officially licensed cards but various models work flawlessly. Slot the microSD into the holder hidden behind the Switch’s kickstand whenever convenient.
Here are quick links to my top three storage upgrades for affordable power expansion:
Sandisk 512GB for Nintendo Switch
Samsung 256GB 100MB/s Nintendo Switch
Follow installation instructions from Nintendo to seamlessly migrate data over to your new portable media. Then you’ll never have to delete another game again!
FAQs: Your Nintendo Switch Game Removal Questions Answered
I’ll finish off by answering some frequently asked questions around managing and specifically deleting games on your Nintendo Switch:
Can you redownload a game you deleted in future?
Absolutely! Because downloaded software links directly to your account purchase history, you can always visit the eShop to reinstall past games you’ve since removed. Just search for the game and select Download rather than buying it again.
Do your save files get deleted if you delete a game?
Unfortunately yes, removing a game generally destroys associated gameplay save data too. So backup up all progress to the cloud before deleting anything!
How do you backup Nintendo Switch game data?
Via System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud > Save Data Backup. This lets you store all game saves either remotely on Nintendo servers or onto a spare microSD card.
What is the best microSD card for Nintendo Switch storage expansion?
A 256GB options from Sandisk, Samsung or Silicon Power all perform excellently. Cards above 256GB may sometimes need reformatting before recognizing the full capacity. A 90-100MB/s read speed ensures smooth gaming.
Can you get storage as big as 1TB for Nintendo Switch?
Possibly, but 512GB is the realistic sweet spot before Nintendo systems struggle to address higher capacity cards reliably. Multiple 512GB cards can effectively deliver 1TB+ though when swapping them out.
Is it safe to delete and reinstall Nintendo Switch games?
Yes, thanks to digital licenses and cloud saves, deleting and redownloading software poses no risks. Just be conscious of backing up game data like progress and statistics if you ever want to pick back up where you left off!
Delete Games With Confidence to Free Up Switch Storage
While Nintendo Switch packs impressive processing power into a compact tablet design, storage space remains limited at just 32GB. This fills astonishingly fast with each AAA game occupying 10GB or more of capacity.
Thankfully Nintendo makes it simple to remove and later restore games without losing access rights. Follow the steps above to delete games you’ve stopped playing or finished, while backing up save data that retains precious unlocks and progress markers.
Investing in a sizable microSD card exponentially grows your storage too. But even without upgrading hardware, judiciously deleting games provides room for hot new releases when space runs low.
Here’s to mastering storage management on the Nintendo Switch, keeping your library focused, and most importantly – enjoying legendary titles untethered or on the big screen! Game on.
