MicroSD Express: The Essential Storage Upgrade for Your Nintendo Switch 2 (and More)

The excitement of unboxing a new gaming console is often quickly followed by a familiar challenge: managing storage space. With game sizes growing exponentially, the internal storage of even the most modern devices can feel cramped almost immediately. This is a reality many early adopters of the Nintendo Switch 2 are facing. As game libraries migrate and new titles are installed, that built-in storage fills up fast. And if you're hoping to simply pop in the trusty MicroSD card from your original Switch, you might be in for a surprise. The Switch 2 ushers in a new era for portable storage, requiring the latest standard: MicroSD Express.

Introduced by the SD Card Association in late 2023, the MicroSD Express standard represents a significant leap forward in data transfer speeds. It promises sustained write speeds measured in the hundreds of megabytes per second, a performance tier previously reserved for high-end professional equipment like digital cameras capturing high-resolution video. Until recently, these cards were a niche product, expensive and hard to find. However, with the Switch 2 adopting this technology, MicroSD Express is poised to become a mainstream necessity for gamers. Before diving into the practicalities of price and availability, let's explore what sets MicroSD Express apart from its predecessors and why this difference matters, especially for your new console.

Understanding the Evolution of MicroSD Speed

To truly appreciate the capabilities of MicroSD Express, it's helpful to understand the speed standards that came before it. Over the years, the SD Card Association has developed various classifications to help consumers identify the minimum performance they can expect from a card. These standards are crucial because a card's speed directly impacts how quickly devices can save data to it, whether it's photos, videos, or game files.

Speed Class, UHS, and Video Class

Traditional MicroSD cards typically use one or more of three main speed metrics. While we have a more in-depth technical guide available, here's a quick overview:

• Speed Class (denoted by a number inside a circle): This is one of the earliest standards, indicating a minimum sustained write speed. A 'C10' card, for example, guarantees a minimum sustained write speed of 10 MB/s. Other classes include C2, C4, and C6, corresponding to 2, 4, and 6 MB/s respectively.
• UHS Speed Class (denoted by a number inside a 'U'): Standing for Ultra High Speed, this class signifies higher minimum sustained write speeds suitable for recording HD video. There are two main UHS Speed Classes: U1 (minimum 10 MB/s) and U3 (minimum 30 MB/s). UHS cards utilize a different bus interface (UHS-I or UHS-II) to achieve these speeds.
• Video Speed Class (denoted by a 'V' followed by a number): This is a more recent standard specifically designed for video recording, particularly high-resolution formats like 4K and 8K. The number after the 'V' directly indicates the minimum sustained write speed in MB/s. Common classes include V6 (6 MB/s), V10 (10 MB/s), V30 (30 MB/s), V60 (60 MB/s), and V90 (90 MB/s).

These standards often overlap, and a single card might carry multiple symbols, indicating its compatibility and guaranteed minimum performance across different device standards. For instance, a card might be marked U3 and V30, both signifying a minimum sustained write speed of 30 MB/s, while also being backward compatible with older Speed Class devices at 10 MB/s (C10).

The Dawn of MicroSD Express

The arrival of MicroSD Express marks a significant paradigm shift in MicroSD technology. Unlike the evolutionary steps taken by UHS and Video Speed Classes, Express leverages a completely different interface to achieve speeds that dwarf previous standards.

Express Speed Ratings

The indicator for MicroSD Express cards is typically a stylized 'EX' or 'E', often accompanied by a number. Similar to the Video Speed Class, this number represents the card's minimum sustained write speed, but on a much higher scale. The officially supported ranges for MicroSD Express start at 150 MB/s and can go up to 600 MB/s and beyond in future iterations. It's important to note that these are minimum guaranteed speeds; manufacturers may advertise higher peak read or write speeds, but the sustained speed rating is the key metric for consistent performance, especially for demanding tasks like loading large game assets or recording high-bitrate video.

Technical Differences: Pins and Interface

While MicroSD Express cards maintain the same familiar physical dimensions as standard MicroSD cards, the key difference lies in their connector pins and the underlying interface. Most standard MicroSD cards use the legacy SD bus or the UHS-I/UHS-II bus, which communicate over dedicated SD interface pins. MicroSD Express, however, incorporates a PCIe (PCI Express) interface, the same high-speed bus used in desktop computers for components like graphics cards and NVMe SSDs.

This is achieved by repurposing one row of pins on the card. Standard UHS-I cards have one row of pins, while UHS-II cards add a second row for higher speeds. MicroSD Express cards also feature two rows of pins, but the configuration is different and more compact than UHS-II. Crucially, the top row of pins on a MicroSD Express card is designed to be backward compatible with older, slower SD and UHS interfaces. This means you can insert a MicroSD Express card into a device designed for a standard MicroSD card, and it will function, albeit at the slower speed supported by the device's reader (e.g., as a V30 device if the reader supports it). However, to unlock the full speed potential of MicroSD Express, the device must have a compatible MicroSD Express slot that utilizes the PCIe interface.

MicroSD Express and the Nintendo Switch 2

For many consumers, the most compelling reason to consider MicroSD Express right now is the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has officially confirmed that the new console requires MicroSD Express cards for certain functions, specifically for storing and running game data and save files. While you can still use older, standard MicroSD cards in the Switch 2 for transferring media like screenshots and videos, they will not function as expandable storage for games.

This requirement is detailed on Nintendo's official support website, which outlines the compatibility and requirements for using both standard and Express cards with the Switch 2. The necessity for the faster Express standard strongly suggests that Switch 2 games are designed to leverage these higher speeds, likely for faster loading times, smoother gameplay that streams assets from storage, and quicker installation or patching processes.

While Nintendo's documentation confirms the requirement, it doesn't explicitly state the minimum sustained write speed needed for Switch 2 game storage. However, the fact that they mandate the Express standard, which starts at 150 MB/s, implies that the console's performance benefits significantly from speeds well beyond the 30 MB/s offered by the fastest widely available standard cards (U3/V30).

Nintendo has even listed a licensed Samsung MicroSD Express card on its store, expected to be available around the console's launch. While specific speed ratings for this licensed card weren't detailed at the time of the source article, its existence further solidifies MicroSD Express as the go-to solution for expanding the Switch 2's game storage.

Market Availability and Price Premium

Because MicroSD Express is a relatively new standard and its primary consumer driver (the Switch 2) has only recently arrived, the market for these cards is still developing. This has implications for both availability and price.

Compared to standard MicroSD cards, which are ubiquitous and available from countless manufacturers at very competitive prices, MicroSD Express cards are currently less common. Finding them might require searching specific online retailers or electronics stores that cater to professional photography/videography or early tech adopters.

The most noticeable difference for consumers, however, is the price. Standard MicroSD cards offering 128GB of storage with a V30 rating (30 MB/s sustained write) can typically be found for $10 to $20, with frequent sales and discounts. In contrast, a MicroSD Express card with the same 128GB capacity can cost upwards of $50 or more – a significant price jump for the increased speed.

Given that the Switch 2 only has one MicroSD slot and modern game sizes can easily exceed 50GB or even 100GB, opting for a larger capacity card is often a practical choice. The source article mentions trying 256GB models, which offer a better balance of capacity and cost-per-gigabyte compared to 128GB, though they still carry the Express premium.

Two specific 256GB MicroSD Express cards mentioned in the source are the SanDisk 256GB MicroSD Express, priced around $72, and the PNY 256GB MicroSD Express, available for about $56. These prices are considerably higher than comparable capacity standard MicroSD cards, reflecting the newer technology and limited market competition.

Hands-On Performance Insights

While formal benchmarks using specialized software like CrystalDiskMark were not possible at the time of the source article due to the limited availability of compatible card readers, a practical test on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself provided valuable real-world performance data.

The test involved transferring the game Rocket League, which occupies 20.3 GB on the Switch 2, between the console's internal storage and the MicroSD Express cards. Two cards were tested: the SanDisk 256GB and the PNY 256GB.

• Internal Storage to SanDisk Express: Transfer took 4 minutes and 12 seconds.
• Internal Storage to PNY Express: Transfer took 6 minutes and 46 seconds.

Transferring the game back from the card to the system's internal storage showed less variation:

• SanDisk Express to Internal Storage: Transfer took 3 minutes and 35 seconds.
• PNY Express to Internal Storage: Transfer took 3 minutes and 22 seconds.

For context, the original Nintendo Switch version of Rocket League is significantly smaller, at 3.4 GB. Transferring this smaller game to a standard MicroSD card on the original Switch took 2 minutes and 32 seconds, and moving it back took 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

Comparing the transfer times highlights the impact of both the increased game size on the Switch 2 and the speed benefits of MicroSD Express. Moving a 20.3 GB game in around 4-7 minutes is considerably faster than what would be possible with a standard V30 card (30 MB/s), which would theoretically take over 11 minutes for a 20.3 GB transfer under ideal sustained conditions, and likely much longer in practice with typical game file structures.

The hands-on test, despite its simplicity, demonstrates that MicroSD Express provides a tangible speed advantage for handling the larger game files characteristic of the Switch 2 era. This speed is essential not just for transfers but also potentially for reducing loading times within games themselves, as the console can access game data on the card much faster.

Beyond Gaming: Other Use Cases

While the Nintendo Switch 2 is currently the most prominent consumer device driving the adoption of MicroSD Express, the standard was initially developed with other demanding applications in mind. High-end digital cameras, particularly those capable of recording high-resolution, high-bitrate video (like 4K or 8K), require storage media that can sustain very high write speeds without dropping frames. MicroSD Express, with its guaranteed minimum speeds of 150 MB/s and higher, is perfectly suited for these professional workflows.

As the technology matures and becomes more cost-effective, we might see MicroSD Express adopted in other devices where fast, expandable storage is beneficial. This could include future smartphones or tablets used for mobile video production, drones capturing high-resolution aerial footage, or even automotive systems requiring rapid data logging.

Conclusion: Is MicroSD Express Worth It?

For owners of the new Nintendo Switch 2, the question isn't really whether MicroSD Express is worth it, but rather which MicroSD Express card to buy. The console's requirement for this standard for game storage makes it an essential purchase if you plan to expand your digital game library beyond the internal storage capacity. While the price premium over standard MicroSD cards is significant, the hands-on tests suggest that the speed benefits are real and necessary for handling the larger game sizes of the new console.

For users who don't own a Switch 2 or a high-end video camera that explicitly supports MicroSD Express, the benefits are currently minimal. Standard MicroSD cards with UHS-I, UHS-II, or Video Speed Class ratings (up to V90) remain perfectly adequate and far more cost-effective for most common tasks like storing photos, recording HD video, or expanding storage in older devices.

However, the introduction of MicroSD Express with a major consumer device like the Switch 2 signals a shift. As more devices adopt the PCIe interface for expandable storage, MicroSD Express is likely to become more common, prices will eventually decrease, and the ecosystem of compatible devices and readers will grow. For now, if you're looking to maximize your Switch 2's potential and avoid lengthy transfer times for your growing game collection, investing in a MicroSD Express card is a necessary and worthwhile upgrade.