Despite What Its Box Says, This New Switch Game Doesn't Require A Big Download

In an age where day-one updates and mandatory installations are the norm, it's been pleasant for Nintendo Switch to have physical games you can insert and play immediately. Despite what its box might suggest, Lego City Undercover won't prove to be an exception.

Some concerns were raised recently when a photo of Undercover's box made its way online (via Nintendo Everything), suggesting it had a sizable required update. A note on the back states, "Up to 13 GB storage required for game download." That would be unusual for a Switch game, and particularly problematic as that would take up roughly 40% of the system's internal storage.

As it turns out, this is simply a mistake.

"The information is listed incorrectly on the packaging of Lego City Undercover for Nintendo Switch," a spokesperson told GameSpot. "Players who purchase a physical copy of Lego City Undercover on Nintendo Switch at retail are getting the complete game and do not need to download additional content to enjoy the full experience."

The spokesperson further clarified that you don't need an internet connection in order to play the game. Instead, one is merely "suggested" so that you can download "the typical content update patch."

Prior to this being straightened out, there had been speculation that this had been a deliberate move in order to keep the game's price down.

A previous report from Eurogamer suggested that manufacturing costs for physical Switch games can be higher than those for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, particularly for those requiring high-capacity game cards. Additionally, digital Switch games reportedly can't be priced lower than their physical counterparts. While Nintendo has not confirmed these details, it may explain why multiplatform games such as Rime and Minecraft: Story Mode carry a higher price on Switch than other platforms.

With all of this in mind, some players speculated that Lego City Undercover was shipping on a lower-capacity game card in order to keep the physical and digital price of the game down.

It turns out that isn't the case, though it doesn't rule out the possibility of a developer potentially doing so in the future.