When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, it soon became clear that if users wanted to expand the console’s storage, they’d need to rely on microSD Express cards. This led to an unexpected rush to secure these cards, with reports from Hermitage Akihabara in Japan indicating sales exceeded 337 cards every hour after the announcement. The sudden demand caught many off guard, given the steep price difference between these and regular microSD cards.
The price disparity is significant. A standard Lexar 1TB Play microSD card, typically priced at $129.99 on Amazon, was available for a deal at $69.99. Its performance is decent, with a read speed of 160 MB/s and a write speed of 100 MB/s, though it doesn’t quite match the internal storage speeds. On the other hand, the microSD Express version delivers impressive performance with 900 MB/s read speed and 600 MB/s write speed—over five times faster than its predecessor. The price, however, is steep, originally at $199.99 but discounted to $172.63, still more than double the cost of the standard version.
Despite the financial hit of upgrading storage for the Switch 2, the microSD Express cards flew off the shelves. Interestingly, this buying spree wasn’t driven by resellers looking to mark up prices. Reports suggest as many as 80% of purchasers bought just one card each, and the maximum purchase by any individual was three cards. It seems most buyers are fans preparing to enhance their gaming experience with the anticipated new console.
Although microSD Express cards have been available since 2019, they haven’t become mainstream due to their high cost relative to both non-Express versions and SSDs. Many gaming consoles offer storage expansion by swapping out the SSD, but this can be cumbersome, often requiring disassembly and configuration updates. Nintendo’s approach with the Switch 2, sticking with expandable storage via cards, keeps things straightforward for users, since they aren’t fond of modifications to their hardware.
Given that several new AAA games are poised to launch on the Switch 2, adding microSD Express storage could be essential for handling these large titles, especially because the new console ships with only 256 GB of internal storage. This setup ensures that your gaming library is always at your fingertips.
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