Nintendo Switch 2 Embraces MicroSD Express for Faster Storage

Nintendo revealed last week that the Nintendo Switch 2 will exclusively support MicroSD Express cards for storage expansion. This shift may frustrate users with existing MicroSD card collections, but the decision is logical—MicroSD Express offers significantly faster performance.

These cards interface with the console in a way that delivers read/write speeds comparable to the Switch 2’s internal UFS (Universal Flash Storage). This is crucial, as it ensures games on expansion cards load nearly as quickly as those stored internally—at least in theory. The trade-off is losing compatibility with cheaper, non-Express MicroSD cards.

MicroSD vs. MicroSD Express

MicroSD cards have evolved through six speed classes over the years. Early SD cards offered just 12.5MB/s, sluggish by modern standards. Speeds improved with SD High Speed at 25MB/s, up to SD UHS III at 312MB/s. Five years ago, the SD Association introduced SD Express, dramatically boosting performance.

Unlike the older UHS-I interface, SD Express leverages PCIe 3.1, the same technology behind high-speed NVMe SSDs. This enables full-sized SD Express cards to reach transfer speeds up to 3,940MB/s—far surpassing traditional SD cards.

MicroSD Express cards, while not as fast as full-sized versions, still achieve up to 985MB/s, tripling the speed of the fastest non-Express MicroSD cards.

Why MicroSD Express for Switch 2?

Nintendo rarely explains its hardware choices, but the Switch 2’s MicroSD Express requirement has clear advantages, primarily speed. A game on a MicroSD Express card, using the PCIe 3.1 interface, loads significantly faster than on a UHS-I MicroSD card—a trend that may soon influence handheld gaming PCs.

With the Switch 2’s internal storage upgraded to UFS from eMMC, requiring expansion media with comparable speed is a logical step. While exact load times for games like Breath of the Wild remain unconfirmed, early demos suggest substantial improvements—Polygon reported 35% faster fast-travel times, and Digital Foundry noted a 3x boost in initial load times. These gains likely stem from faster storage, though the upgraded CPU and GPU also help process data more efficiently. Nintendo’s choice ensures external storage won’t bottleneck future games requiring high-speed disks.

This also sets the stage for future advancements. The SD 8.0 Specification allows full-sized SD Express cards to hit 3,942MB/s. While MicroSD Express cards aren’t there yet, they could reach similar speeds in time, assuming the Switch 2 supports it.

Will you buy a Switch 2?

Yes, on launch day!No, I’m happy with my current setup.I’m waiting for more details—games, specs, etc!

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MicroSD Express Storage Options

MicroSD Express cards have been slow to gain traction, but the Switch 2’s launch will likely change that. Currently, options are limited. Lexar offers a single MicroSD Express card in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, with the 1TB model priced at $199.

Lexar Play Pro MicroSD Express

SanDisk currently offers just one 256GB MicroSD Express card, matching the Switch 2’s internal storage capacity. By the console’s launch, don’t expect many cards exceeding 512GB. However, as demand grows, companies like Samsung will likely expand their offerings.

SanDisk MicroSD Express 256GB