I don't know how it compares to PS5 storage, but I'd say it is definitely better than the Switch's 32gb. I expected Switch 2 to similarly skimp like Switch did and only offer 128gb. 256gb, while not a ton, is Nintendo stepping up a little bit and realizing they should be offering a decent amount of built-in storage.

Switch isn't gonna have much in the way of 100-200gb games that seem to apparently be common on the consoles. It might have a few third party games that big, though I think even those will likely be much smaller than their console counterparts, either using the system's AI upscaling tech to allow them to use lower res base textures or just doing more compression for Switch 2 games, or a combo. First party games are probably gonna mostly be in the 10-40gb range I would guess. Indies are gonna mostly be in the 50gb game. Naturally anyone who downloads games is gonna have to get an SD card eventually, but Nintendo is giving gamers much more room vs game sizes than Switch did.

That said, since Switch 2 doesn't take Switch compatible SD cards, that means Switch owners are gonna have to transfer their Switch library to Switch 2 to play on the new system, so for those who do that that very well could be a few hundred gb that you want to move over right away, meaning a new SD card is still gonna be required very early on.

I see a couple people mentioning they only keep a handful of games downloaded on a system at once. I never thought of that. I guess that is a very console centric concept, given that console games are routinely >100gb I guess so you literally can normally only fit a handful of games on a console at once without buying whole terabytes of extra space. With Switch I got a 200gb card early on and that lasted me for years, then I was running low by like 2023 so I got a 400gb card which has plenty of room left over with me having all my games on it. Only downside is I figured I'd be able to use those two cards next gen but instead I just have >300gb unused that are only good with the Switch.

PS4 games needed to be installed from the disc most of the time due to the slow transfer speeds of optical drives, while this is not necessary for the Switch 2. As such, while it is factually smaller, it's effectively more useful unless you want to download all your games and don't care about physical games.

And even then, Nintendo's superior compression techniques helps keeping data small. I bet Donkey Kong Bonanza is using up significantly less storage than most AA/AAA games on the PS4, and only Mario Kart World will be coming into same ballpark in terms of storage needs.

Superior compression techniques? You mean, Nintendo doesn't make overly detailed 4K games with motion capture cut scenes and hours and hours of voice acting ;)

Donky Kong Bonanza is about 10.1 GB I read somewhere. Seems about right for the stylized visuals

Looks fine, but it's not superior compression techniques in action lol.
(I guess leaving out data is also a compression technique, not superior though)

The internal storage is fine for Nintendo games, highly detailed 3rd party games take up a lot more space.

https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9587341

https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9587456

As I alluded to in another post in this thread this is downright disingenuous when most of the "physical" games announced for Switch 2 so far are Game Key Cards which have to be downloaded and installed onto the console. Hell, some are just a code in the box. If there is no actual game data on the cartridge how does the Switch 2 have an advantage over the PS4 or PS5 in this regard?

At least on PS consoles the data is on the disc as a backup. You can delete it if you need more space and re-install it without an internet connection. The way things are trending, only Nintendo games will reliably be on the cartridge for Switch 2 games. Since most of a game's library is overwhelmingly 3rd party, it looks like games with data on the cartridge will be the minority.

Better if you only play Nintendo's first parties and buy them physically

About equal if you buy them digitally

Worse if you play third parties

Much, much worse if you play both first and third parties digitally

Yeah, this comment sums it up perfectly in as few words. 

/end thread

If it's just a code in a box, then the box will be marked as such afair. Also had been the case on the Switch.

Well, currently 3rd rated game this year on MC, Split Fiction, uses 73GB (as opposed to 85/85/79 on PC/XBOX/PS5)...physical key-card, so download all to play. So that's quite a bit for one game.
So yeah, unless you play only Nintendo physical games, plus 3rd parties that ship fully on cards, 256GB is not that much.

^ Yeah. Taking it on a digital level and most people will be digital cause the games are cheaper, you can install Split fiction, Hitman and Madden and have room for MKW and maaaaybe a few small indies. No room for evergreen games or anyone with a higher rotation than 4 games. It's objectively worse than launch PS5 700 gig SSD after the OS. Not all games are 100+gigs and the average is much less cause there are plenty of games thst don't need that ammount of space but if they did, it'll still hold 7 or them.

Stylized graphics certainly can help for smaller storage needs, but Nintendo does have some superior texture and color compression techniques that they perfected during the N64 though Gamecube era, since their smaller storage compared to the competition needed to be made up for somewhat. However, those could be outdated enough nowadays that other, more modern techniques have outclassed them, nullifying the old advantage here.