Switch 2 is almost here and requires a specific type of microSD card. Here’s where you can find these:
Nintendo has officially announced the Switch 2. It shows many new details. We’ve rounded up Everything you need to knowhowever, the need for external storage for new gaming consoles is particularly noteworthy. Unlike previous Switch Consoles, the Switch 2 requires a MicroSD Express card, not just a regular MicroSD.
Due to this upgrade, it is unlikely that an older microSD will work just by replacing it. To use it, you need to buy a new one. But don’t worry about looking for them. We’re working on that.
The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal memory, so it may seem like it’s not worth adding 128GB of external storage, but some are better than anything else. MicroSD Express is much more expensive than standard MicroSD, and the best option is always the option you can afford.
This could be the most popular choice for Switch 2 storage. It doubles the available storage on the console, and $60 is not an outrageous price. If you’re a hardcore gamer and you think your Switch 2 has dozens of games loaded, you might want to be bigger, but I think 512GB of total storage should be sufficient for the average person.
Technically, the Switch 2 can use microSD cards up to 2TB, but there are few of them. I was able to find this 1TB card that meets MicroSD Express standards, but it’s not a cheap purchase. Especially for a handheld that already costs $450, there’s a lot of $200 for 1TB of extra space.
As Switch 2 is approaching its June 5th release, I am constantly searching for a list of MicroSD Express. Nowadays, cards are almost new technology, so there are very few cards. But as they become more popular, we may see more places to raise them and lower prices.
See this: Switch 2 Details: Things you need to know
It is not necessary to play Switch 2. The console already comes with 256GB of internal storage, so if you can keep your gaming needs under that threshold, you don’t need to buy a MicroSD Express card. That being said, some of the third-party games we see can be far greater than standard Nintendo games. Eldenling alone costs 45GB, almost one-fifth of the internal storage.
MicroSD Express cards are significantly faster than standard MicroSD cards. For example, the Sandisk Extreme 256GB card reads at 190MB/s, while the 256GB Express reads at a maximum of 880MB/s. This is a big difference when it’s a console that’s trying to move game data.
Unless you already have a microSD card express card, the answer is probably no. Standard microSD cards are not compatible with Switch 2, primarily due to transfer speed.
The maximum capacity of the Switch 2 microSD Express is 2TB. Many of them are not around and they are very expensive, but Switch 2 can read them fine.
These express cards are fairly new technology, and therefore are considerably more expensive than the standard version. Amazon’s old 256GB MicroSD costs around $25, while the Sandisk 256GB Express costs $60. But they are much faster. Speeds that are almost four times more than twice the price seem to be fair trade.