When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, they mentioned a crucial detail for anyone looking to expand the device’s memory: you’d need microSD Express cards. This revelation sparked a frenzy, and soon enough, both online stores and brick-and-mortar retailers saw their supplies vanish in what seemed like a blink. Some store employees at Hermitage Akihabara in Japan [translation by machine] reported selling more than 337 of these cards every hour. This was no small feat, especially considering the hefty price tags attached to microSD Express cards compared to their regular counterparts.
If you’re thinking about picking up a microSD Express card, brace yourself for a price hike. Take the Lexar 1TB Play microSD card, for instance. Normally, it costs $129.99 on Amazon, but you might snag it for $69.99 if you’re lucky and catch a sale. This version offers a read speed of up to 160 MB/s and a write speed of 100 MB/s—decent, but far from blazing fast when matched against the device’s internal storage. Now, step up to the microSD Express world, and you’ll find the Lexar 1TB Play Pro offering a staggering read speed of 900 MB/s and write speeds hitting 600 MB/s. It’s a whole new league in terms of speed. Of course, it carries a heftier price: originally $199.99 on Amazon, though it’s slightly discounted at $172.63—still more than twice the cost of its standard sibling.
Despite the microSD Express adding a financial burden for Nintendo enthusiasts eager to enhance their Switch 2 capabilities, these cards were snapped up quickly following the announcement. Unlike other tech launches, this wasn’t the work of scalpers. Reports suggest that 80% of the purchases were single-card transactions, with the maximum purchase being just three cards. It seems these are genuine gamers, gearing up for the new console era.
Even though the microSD Express standard has been around since 2019, it hasn’t seen widespread use until now, partly due to its steeper pricing. Regular microSD cards and SSDs have long been more affordable solutions for folks needing portable or fixed storage. While other gaming consoles let you upgrade with larger SSDs, that route often means opening up the device and fiddling with settings—not exactly a walk in the park.
Since Nintendo isn’t a fan of users modifying their consoles’ hardware, using microSD Express cards remains the easiest and quickest way to boost the Switch 2’s storage to match its internal speed. This upgrade might just be essential, given that the console is slated to host a slew of new AAA titles. With these titles potentially filling up the built-in 256 GB of storage quickly, having additional space ensures you can keep all your favorite games on hand.
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