When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, they surprised everyone with a new requirement: users would need to use microSD Express cards to increase the device’s memory capacity. Almost immediately, retailers, both online and in-store, ran out of these cards. In Japan’s Hermitage Akihabara, staff noted they were selling a staggering 337 cards every hour. This high demand was unexpected, given that microSD Express cards are significantly more expensive than standard microSD cards.
### Brace Yourself for High Prices on microSD Express
Consider the Lexar 1TB Play microSD card, which is usually priced at $129.99 on Amazon. At the time I’m writing this, it’s on sale for $69.99. It offers a respectable read speed of up to 160 MB/s and a write speed of up to 100 MB/s, which, while decent, doesn’t match up to internal storage speeds. Now, if you look at the microSD Express version, it’s a game-changer with a read speed soaring to 900 MB/s and a write speed at 600 MB/s—over five times the speed of its predecessor. However, this performance comes at a cost. The Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card would typically set you back $199.99, and even with a current discount down to $172.63, it still costs more than double its non-Express sibling.
### Resellers Beware: Scalping Seems Minimal
Even though these pricey cards are a necessity for Switch 2 owners, they flew off the shelves after Nintendo’s announcement. Interestingly, this wasn’t a case of rampant scalping, as reports indicate around 80% of purchasers only bought a single card, and the highest purchase by any one individual was capped at three. It appears most people snapping up these cards are simply eager to be ready for the new console.
The microSD Express standard has been around since 2019, but its adoption has been slow. It’s pricier compared to regular microSD cards for portable storage needs and SSDs for larger, fixed storage solutions. With many game consoles, you can expand internal memory by swapping out the SSD, but that involves removing the backplate and navigating some settings—not exactly a plug-and-play solution.
Nintendo isn’t fond of users fiddling with its console hardware, so their Switch 2 encourages using microSD Express cards for easy, speedy memory expansion, closely aligning with the performance of built-in storage. This is likely an important feature for the new console, as it braces for a lineup of new AAA titles that could quickly max out its 256 GB of internal storage. So, with these cards, you’ll have all your favorite games at the ready on your Switch 2 whenever you want.
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