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The Nintendo Switch 2 is close astir the corner, and if you’re readying connected grabbing it, support successful caput that it lone has 256GB of retention built-in. If you privation to load up connected games without having to woody with uninstalling and reinstalling implicit and over, you’re going to privation to grow that storage. However, dissimilar the archetypal Nintendo Switch, the caller console present requires a MicroSD Express paper – which are faster, but much costly than different UHS-based SD cards.
MicroSD Express cards person theoretically been astir for a while, but determination are lone a fewer of them connected the marketplace close now, arsenic originative professionals haven’t truly recovered overmuch of a usage for them. However, with the Switch 2 launching successful the adjacent month, determination volition apt beryllium a deluge of Express cards to capable that gap.
Just retrieve that due to the fact that the strategy isn’t retired yet, I haven’t tested immoderate of these Nintendo Switch 2 SD cards yet. However, astir of them travel from reputable manufacturers that person a way grounds of making fantabulous retention enlargement cards.
Why MicroSD Express?
Unlike galore devices, the Nintendo Switch 2 is mandating a MicroSD Express paper for retention expansion. Nintendo hasn’t truly explained its reasoning down the decision, but it’s not hard to spot wherefore it mightiness privation to necessitate faster storage.
For one, the flash retention built into the strategy is the aforesaid benignant of UFS flash that powers astir smartphones. This retention is overmuch faster than the eMMC thrust successful the archetypal Switch, and it’s apt Nintendo wanted its developers to beryllium capable to number connected that benignant of retention speed, nary substance if the crippled is being stored internally oregon connected an enlargement card.
The lone happening you tin usage a regular aged MicroSD paper for is loading screenshots and videos you took connected your first-gen Switch. That means dissimilar thing similar the PS5, which allows you to store last-generation games connected slower outer drives, Nintendo isn’t allowing for immoderate wiggle country here. If you privation to grow the Nintendo Switch 2 storage, you’re going to request a MicroSD Express card.
1. Lexar Play Pro
The Best MicroSD Express Card
Lexar Play Pro
Fastest MicroSD Express paper close now
The priciest enactment close now
Out of the 2 MicroSD Express cards that are theoretically "out," the Lexar Play Pro is faster and much capacious. Supporting work times up to 900MB/s and retention abstraction up to 1TB, this is the champion MicroSD Express paper retired determination close now. Unfortunately, with the accrued request that the Switch 2 has brought, I can’t look to find it successful banal anywhere.
This volition apt alteration successful the future, arsenic banal normalizes and radical dilatory down connected excitedly buying immoderate accessory related to the Nintendo Switch 2. If you bash privation the champion SD paper for your Switch though, it’s worthy keeping your oculus connected the Lexar Play Pro, particularly the 1TB version, and scooping it up if it comes successful banal somewhere. As for close now, your champion stake is to bid it done Adorama, which has it connected backorder until July.
2. SanDisk MicroSD Express
The MicroSD Express Card You Can Actually Buy Right Now
SanDisk MicroSD Express
You tin easy bargain it close now
Limited to 256GB of other storage
I person truthful galore SanDisk SD cards lying around, and that shouldn’t beryllium ace surprising. Over the years, SanDisk has go 1 of the astir prolific SD paper manufacturers, and present it has a MicroSD Express card. Unlike the Lexar version, SanDisk doesn’t person a fancy sanction for its card, and it besides lone goes up to 256GB, which would simply reflector the interior retention of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Still, doubling your retention isn’t a atrocious deal, particularly if you tin find this MicroSD paper astatine a little price. It’s besides not rather arsenic accelerated arsenic the Lexar Play Pro, coming successful with a work velocity of up to 880MB/s. That’s a insignificant capable disparity that you’re not going to announcement immoderate quality erstwhile you’re loading up Mario Kart World, but 20MB/s is inactive 20MB/s.
The SanDisk MicroSD Express paper is besides overmuch much readily disposable astatine the clip of writing, truthful if you conscionable privation to drawback it and hide it, this mightiness beryllium the paper to spell for. However, if you’re consenting to hold until you person the console in-hand, determination volition beryllium plentifulness much options for you.
3. Samsung MicroSD Express for Switch 2
The Official Option We Know Very Little About
Nintendo Samsung MicroSD Express
Little successful the mode of specs
Samsung’s MicroSD Express paper isn’t retired yet, but this is the enlargement paper that’s being sold straight by Nintendo, which decidedly gives it immoderate weight. The problem, though, is that I person nary thought what its retention speeds are going to be, oregon whether oregon not the 256GB exemplary being sold straight by the likes of Nintendo and Gamestop volition beryllium the lone mentation you tin buy.
Still, it’ll astir apt supply immoderate comfortableness to get an SD paper that has Nintendo’s seal of approval, nary substance what the existent specs of the paper extremity up being. I person reached retired to Samsung to larn much astir this SD card, and I’ll update this nonfiction arsenic soon arsenic I larn anything.
MicroSD Express FAQ
How accelerated is MicroSD Express?
SD Express is theoretically much faster than older SD cards, and that mostly comes down to however it interfaces with the device. Rather than connecting to a bespoke SD paper interface, SD Express uses PCI Express 3.1, which is what SSDs usage connected PC.
Don’t spell expecting a MicroSD Express paper to beryllium arsenic accelerated arsenic the NVMe SSDs successful handheld gaming PCs, though. While the full-sized SD Express cards tin travel close, with work speeds up to 3,940MB/s, the MicroSD Express cards tin lone deed a maximum of 985MB/s. Still, that’s overmuch faster than the older MicroSD cards utilized by the archetypal Nintendo Switch.
How agelong volition a MicroSD Express paper last?
Just similar immoderate SD card, MicroSD Express cards aren’t meant to beryllium utilized for semipermanent information storage, and truthful they person a support life. How agelong they’ll past depends mostly connected the situation it's being utilized in, and whether oregon not you’re dropping it. I wouldn’t expect a MicroSD Express paper to past much than 5-10 years earlier it needs to beryllium replaced, truthful beryllium definite to support thing important backed up.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor astatine IGN and the PC components queen. You tin travel her @Jackiecobra
Originally posted:
May 2, 2025 9:00 pm
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