When Nintendo lifted the curtain on the Switch 2, they mentioned users would need cards aligned with the microSD Express standard to beef up the device’s memory. This revelation led to a rush at both online and brick-and-mortar shops, where retailers saw their inventories vanish rapidly. In Japan, Hermitage Akihabara reported (through a translation) that they were selling over 337 cards per hour, which stunned everyone given the hefty price tags of microSD Express cards compared to their regular counterparts.
Now, brace yourself for the cost hike associated with microSD Express cards. Take for example, the basic Lexar 1TB Play microSD card. Typically pegged at $129.99 on Amazon, it’s currently slashed down to $69.99 at this moment. Its performance is nothing to sneeze at, boasting read speeds of up to 160 MB/s and write speeds of up to 100 MB/s, though it doesn’t quite match the speed of internal storage. On the flip side, the microSD Express variant rises significantly above the bar, offering a blazing 900 MB/s read speed and 600 MB/s write speed—over five times quicker than the old standard. But of course, this leap in speed isn’t free. The Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card originally costs $199.99 on Amazon, and even with a discount bringing it down to $172.63, it’s still more than twice as pricey as its non-Express sibling.
Interestingly enough, despite the financial pinch Nintendo’s fans felt with this microSD Express requirement for the Switch 2, the cards practically flew off the shelves post-announcement. However, this shopping frenzy wasn’t fueled by scalpers. Reports indicate around 80% of the buyers only picked up a single microSD Express card, with a maximum of just three being bought by individual users. So, it’s fair to say these spendy cards were snapped up by eager gamers, keen to prep for the new console.
While the microSD Express standard isn’t exactly new—it’s been around since 2019—it never really caught on, mainly because of the steep price tag when compared to regular microSDs for portable storage, or SSDs for fixed, larger storage needs. Some gaming consoles allow users to boost internal memory by swapping out the SSD, but this isn’t as straightforward. Typically, you’d need to remove the backplate and adjust some settings to make it work.
Nintendo, known for its staunch stance against users fiddling with their console hardware, offers a more user-friendly and efficient way to expand the Switch 2’s storage via microSD Express cards. This could prove pivotal, especially since the console is set to host a slew of AAA games that could easily fill up its 256 GB internal storage space. With this upgrade, your top gaming hits can remain at your fingertips on the Switch 2.
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