Square Enix Explains How Dragon Quest XI S’s File Size Was Reduced From 30GB To 13.5GB

Square Enix has shared a few interesting tidbits about the file size of Dragon Quest XI S, which is 13.5GB on Nintendo Switch.

Dragon Quest XI S is the definitive version of Dragon Quest XI currently exclusive to Nintendo Switch, which contains new features not found in Dragon Quest XI on PS4 and Nintendo 3DS. When development for Dragon Quest XI S started, Square Enix realized the game’s file size is going to be a challenge, as the PS4 version takes up 30GB and the Switch’s maximum internal memory is 32GB, and they had new features they wanted to put in.

Assuming Dragon Quest XI S’s final file size was 30GB, it would be almost impossible for someone to download it on a Switch without an extra memory card. At that time, the game with the largest file size was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which was 13GB.

So in order to shrink Dragon Quest XI S from 30GB to 13.5GB, Square Enix reduced the file size of all assets in Dragon Quest XI S, which also led to the game having faster load times than the PS4 version.

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