Following the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2, we got a sneak peek at some technical aspects of the new console. Among the most noteworthy changes is its requirement for a new type of memory card, called MicroSD Express. But be prepared—these cards are set to make quite the dent in your budget. Compared to today’s SSDs, which can cost as little as 5 to 6 cents per gigabyte, these new cards are substantially more expensive, ranging from 20 to 25 cents per gigabyte. This high cost is attributed to advanced technologies like NVMe and PCIe 3.0, typically seen in M.2 SSDs, being incorporated into the MicroSD Express cards.
For instance, Sandisk’s MicroSD Express cards will set you back $49.99 for a mere 128GB, while the 256GB option jumps to $64.99. These cards deliver read speeds of up to 880 MB/s and write speeds of 480 MB/s, with 100 MB/s for sustained writes.
On the other hand, Lexar is rolling out cards with capacities as large as 1TB, but unsurprisingly, they come with hefty price tags. Their Play Pro 1TB MicroSD Express card is priced at $199.99, with smaller options like the 512GB card going for $99.99, and 256GB for $49.99. Lexar promises that these cards can reach up to 900 MB/s for reading and 600 MB/s for writing.
Comparing costs, Sandisk’s 128GB model runs at $0.39 per gigabyte, while its 256GB variant costs $0.25 per gigabyte. Lexar offers a relatively better deal, with all its sizes priced at $0.20 per gigabyte, promising better specifications too.
Why is this storage upgrade crucial for the Switch 2? The console will come with 256GB of internal storage. However, simply popping in a physical game cartridge won’t let you play immediately. Some games require downloading and installing from the internet before you can start gaming. Basically, the cartridge acts more as a license key than a game provider, which might be an industry move to lower cartridge production costs as NAND prices are predicted to climb.
Take “Street Fighter 6” as an example. You’d need to download an additional 50GB onto your console, meaning the built-in storage will fill up fast. To keep playing various games, you’ll likely need to invest in these pricey new MicroSD cards, unless you’re okay with the inconvenience of constant downloading and storage management every time you swap a game card.
On the technical side, the difference between a standard MicroSD and a MicroSD Express card might be hard to discern at first glance, possibly leading to some mix-ups for those buying them. However, a closer look reveals a significant leap from the UHS-I standard previously used in the original Nintendo Switch. The latest SD Express speeds are categorized into four classes—Class 150, 300, 450, and 600. These numbers indicate the card’s minimum read and write speeds in MB/s. The MicroSD Express cards also feature more pins than older cards, boasting 16 or 17 compared to just eight in the UHS-I cards.
There’s a whole tech world behind this, with NVMe and PCIe 3.0 allowing potential speeds of up to 2GB/s when using a PCIe 4.0 interface. Although we’ve yet to see if the Switch 2 will leverage these top speeds, nothing released so far has reached that potential yet.
Lexar’s recent comments highlight their excitement around supporting these new standards, adapting to offer faster, next-gen memory solutions for gamers. The current frontrunner in the performance race is the Lexar Play Pro MicroSDXC Express card, but actual tests will tell us more once both the Switch 2 and these new cards hit the market. For now, those curious about the new console can explore some hands-on experiences with the Nintendo Switch 2.
