DayZ Switch 2 File Size Is 15.9GB, and the Cool Edition Lands August 20 at $69.99
The DayZ Switch 2 file size has been listed at 15.9GB, four days before Bohemia Interactive's survival sandbox arrives on Nintendo hardware for the first time. DayZ: Cool Edition launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on 20 August 2026 at $69.99, and the eShop listing confirms the download weighs in at 17,176,723,456 bytes — a shade under 16GB.
How big is DayZ on Switch 2, and will it fit
15.9GB is small for a game of this scale, and that is the useful part of the number. The Switch 2 ships with 256GB of internal storage with the system software already eating into it, so DayZ is one of the rarer big-name installs that will not force you to delete something else first.
Compare it to what Nintendo owners have been dealing with lately. Oblivion Remastered is 61.5GB on the same console. DayZ is roughly a quarter of that, despite carrying three separate open maps.
If you do need room, remember the Switch 2 only takes microSD Express cards. The standard microSDXC card from your original Switch will not be recognised for game storage, which catches people out at exactly the wrong moment. Our breakdown of the 61.5GB Oblivion Remastered download on Switch 2 goes into the storage maths in more detail.
What the Cool Edition actually includes
This is not the stripped-back base game. The Switch 2 listing describes three terrains, which is everything DayZ has shipped across PC and consoles to date:
- Chernarus — the original 230 km² post-Soviet map, hand-built and modelled on real locations in North Bohemia.
- Livonia — 168 km² of dense forest, greener on the surface and harder than it looks.
- Sakhal — the 83 km² frozen archipelago introduced with the Frostline expansion, where body temperature becomes a permanent threat rather than an occasional one.
Servers hold up to 60 players at a time, and the Switch 2 version is listed as single system for one player with online play for one to 60. Motion controls and first- or third-person view switching are both flagged on the store page. Claims circulating about Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming are not listed by the publisher, so treat those as unconfirmed until Bohemia says otherwise.
Which platforms get it, and which do not
DayZ has been out on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S for years. The 20 August release is Switch 2 only — there is no original Nintendo Switch version, and nothing has been announced for one. Progress does not carry across from your PC or console character either; a Switch 2 purchase means a fresh spawn on the coast.
Language support on the eShop listing covers American English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. The $69.99 price is the US figure; other regions are set by their own storefronts, so check your local eShop rather than converting.
The rest of the week's Switch 2 download sizes
DayZ was not the only listing to surface. Starsand Island comes in at 6GB, the Wobbly Life Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at 2.3GB, and Ground Zero Hero at just 342MB. It is a light week for storage by Switch 2 standards, which makes DayZ the only install here worth planning around.
The console's third-party run has picked up sharply this summer — Minecraft's Switch 2 closed beta more than doubled render distance, and Pokemon Pokopia passed five million sales in four months. A hardcore PC survival game with no map markers and permadeath is a very different proposition from either.
Should you pre-load it
At 15.9GB, a launch-day download is a short wait rather than an evening lost, so there is less urgency here than with a 60GB port. The bigger question is whether you want DayZ at all: there are no quests, no objectives and no minimap, and dying returns you to nothing on a fresh beach.
If you are setting up a Switch 2 for the first time ahead of Thursday, our guide to connecting a Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 to a TV covers the docked setup. For what else is landing between now and the end of the year, our list of the most anticipated games of 2026 and their release dates has the calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is DayZ on Nintendo Switch 2?
The eShop listing puts DayZ: Cool Edition at 15.9GB, or 17,176,723,456 bytes. That is modest for a game with three open maps, and it fits comfortably on the Switch 2's 256GB of internal storage without clearing space first.
When does DayZ come out on Switch 2?
DayZ: Cool Edition launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on 20 August 2026. It is the first time the game has appeared on Nintendo hardware, and no version has been announced for the original Nintendo Switch.
How much does DayZ cost on Switch 2?
It is $69.99 in the United States. Prices in other regions are set by each local eShop, so check your own storefront rather than converting the dollar figure yourself.
Does the DayZ Cool Edition include the Frostline expansion?
The Switch 2 store listing describes three maps: Chernarus, Livonia and Sakhal. Sakhal is the frozen archipelago that arrived with Frostline, so the Cool Edition covers everything DayZ has released across PC and consoles so far.
How many players can join a DayZ server on Switch 2?
Up to 60 players share a server at once. The listing shows single system play for one player and online play for one to 60, matching the player counts DayZ runs on PC and other consoles.
