When Nintendo introduced the Switch 2, it announced that users would need to get cards based on the microSD Express standard to increase the console’s memory capacity. This announcement triggered a buying frenzy, leading to both online and brick-and-mortar stores quickly selling out of these cards. In Japan, for instance, it was reported by store staff at Hermitage Akihabara [via a machine translation] that they were selling over 337 cards per hour, a figure that rather astounded everyone considering microSD Express cards carry a much heftier price tag compared to their regular counterparts.
### You’ll Pay More for microSD Express
Consider the standard Lexar 1TB Play microSD card. Normally priced at $129.99 on Amazon, there was a sale dropping it to $69.99 at the time of writing. It offers a decent read speed of 160 MB/s and a write speed of 100 MB/s, which, while respectable, doesn’t match up to internal storage speeds. The microSD Express version of this card, though, is a speed demon with a read speed of 900 MB/s and a write speed of 600 MB/s, rendering it over five times faster than the traditional standard. However, speed comes with a cost: the Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card is listed at an original price of $199.99 on Amazon, and even with a sale price of $172.63, it’s still more than twice what you’d pay for the non-Express card.
### No Scalping Detected
Despite the financial pinch that the microSD Express requirement inflicts on Nintendo fans, the cards sold out quickly post-Nintendo’s announcement without falling prey to scalpers. Reports suggest that a whopping 80% of purchasers only bought one card each, with the highest quantity purchased by an individual reported at just three. This pattern indicates that most buyers are end-users gearing up for the arrival of the Switch 2.
Though the microSD Express standard was introduced back in 2019, it didn’t see widespread use, partly due to its higher cost when compared to regular microSD cards for mobile storage and SSDs for more permanent setups. In contrast to other gaming systems where you can boost memory by swapping out the SSD, that process is often cumbersome—requiring you to take off the backplate and adjust configurations. Since Nintendo generally frowns upon users meddling with console hardware, the most straightforward way to expand the Switch 2’s storage to a level that rivals its internal memory speed is by using microSD Express cards. This enhancement could prove vital as the console prepares for a slew of new AAA games, which might quickly fill up its 256 GB internal storage. This way, all your beloved game titles will be at your fingertips on your Switch 2 whenever you want to play.
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