Switch 2 Compatible microSD Express Cards Start From $45 for 128GB

In a recent, expansive 60-minute Nintendo Direct, Nintendo unveiled a wealth of new details about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Among the highlights were the console's price, set at $449.99, and its eagerly awaited release date of June 5, 2025. Alongside these announcements, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch 2 will exclusively support microSD Express Cards for storage expansion, marking a significant shift from the original Switch's compatibility with standard microSD cards.

This change implies that if you're upgrading to the Switch 2 this summer, you won't be able to use your existing storage cards. Instead, you'll need to invest in microSD Express cards. SanDisk, a leading brand in storage solutions, has already listed compatible cards on Amazon, including a 128GB model for $44.99 and a 256GB model for $59.99. The latter, currently on sale from its original price of $64.99, offers an 8% savings.

Switch 2 Compatible### SanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card

The Nintendo Switch 2 boasts a substantial internal storage upgrade, coming equipped with 256GB, a significant leap from the original Switch's 32GB. This increased capacity might initially suffice, but with Switch 2 games potentially being much larger than their predecessors, storage expansion could become necessary sooner than you think. For instance, while "Tears of the Kingdom" occupied 16GB on the original Switch, its Switch 2 counterpart, along with titles like "Mario Kart World," may demand considerably more space.

Although the exact file sizes for Switch 2 games remain undisclosed, it's reasonable to anticipate that they will require substantial storage. The decision to support only microSD Express cards, which can achieve speeds up to 985 MB/s thanks to PCIe and NVMe technology, is a strategic move by Nintendo to ensure the console can handle these larger, more demanding games without performance hiccups.

Nintendo's choice to adopt microSD Express for the Switch 2's storage expansion is a bold step forward in portable storage technology. Traditional microSD cards, limited to 104 MB/s via the UHS-I interface, pale in comparison to the speed capabilities of microSD Express cards. This shift to faster storage solutions is crucial for accommodating the next generation of games, ensuring smooth gameplay without slowdowns.

However, this advancement comes with a notable downside: higher costs. A 128GB microSD Express card is priced around $45, a stark contrast to the $10-15 you might spend on a similar capacity standard SD card for the original Switch. Moreover, microSD Express cards are less common, with only a few brands like SanDisk and Samsung currently producing them. This scarcity, combined with the higher price point, means that while Nintendo's move to microSD Express is geared towards speed and future-proofing, it also implies increased expenses for users looking to expand their storage.

If you're planning to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2, be prepared to budget for these faster, albeit more expensive, memory cards. For a comprehensive overview of everything showcased during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, you can click here.