With the highly anticipated announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2, we’ve started to learn about the technological breakthroughs packed into this new console. Among the most significant updates is the new requirement for a different MicroSD card standard called MicroSD Express. If you’ve been keeping an eye on current pricing trends, prepare yourself—these cards aren’t going to be cheap. They cost more on a per-gigabyte basis compared to many of today’s SSDs. We’re talking 20 to 25 cents for each GB, while those budget-friendly SSDs come in at just 5 to 6 cents per GB. A major contributor to this cost is the integration of NVMe and PCIe 3.0 support, which is typical for M.2 SSDs and now directly integrated into these MicroSD Express cards.
Take, for instance, Sandisk’s offerings in this new category. Their MicroSD Express cards hit an MSRP of $49.99 for a modest 128GB, and the 256GB version is priced at $64.99. These cards boast speeds reaching up to 880 MB/s for reads and 480 MB/s for writes, with sustained writes of 100 MB/s.
On the flip side, Lexar is stepping up with larger options, going up to 1TB. But hang on tightly to your wallet—the prices for this cutting-edge standard are just as steep as you might expect.
Looking to get your hands on Lexar’s Play Pro 1TB MicroSD Express card? It’ll set you back a hefty $199.99. Meanwhile, the 512GB and 256GB models come in at $99.99 and $49.99, respectively. Lexar proudly claims these cards can reach speeds of 900 MB/s for reads and 600 MB/s for writes.
If we break it down per gigabyte, Sandisk’s 128GB card costs as much as $0.39, while the 256GB variant is priced at $0.25 per gig. Surprisingly, Lexar’s range offers a standard rate of $0.20 per gigabyte across the board, and they seem to promise higher performance specs too.
### Why Storage Matters More Than Ever with the Switch 2
The new Nintendo Switch 2 will ship with a standard 256GB of storage. But here’s where it gets tricky: even with a physical game in hand, popping the cartridge in might not be enough to play right away. Some games will require downloading and installing before you can jump in, meaning the cartridge is more like a physical license—known as a “Game-Key Card” in Nintendo’s terms. This shift might be a move to cut down cartridge costs as NAND storage prices rise.
For example, if you snag a copy of Street Fighter 6, be prepared to download an additional 50GB of data immediately. It’s easy to see how quickly that initial 256GB can vanish. This need for more storage reveals the hidden cost of using Nintendo’s latest system: either invest in pricey MicroSD cards or constantly manage downloads and deletions every time you switch out Game-Key Cards.
### Decoding the Switch 2’s MicroSD Express Standard
At first glance, distinguishing a regular MicroSD card from a new MicroSD Express might be a head-scratcher for some buyers. But diving into the specs proves that MicroSD Express offers a substantial leap over the UHS-I standard previously used by the original Nintendo Switch.
The SD Association categorizes MicroSD Express cards into Class 150, Class 300, Class 450, and Class 600. Those numbers denote the minimum read/write performance in MB/s. Plus, these new cards sport a lot more pins—somewhere between 16 or 17—compared to the mere eight found in older models.
Behind these advancements are the NVMe and PCIe 3.0 interfaces, potentially allowing speeds reaching 2GB/s with a PCIe 4.0 setup. But even though those are the theoretical limits, how they will translate into actual performance on the Switch 2 remains to be seen.
As Joey Lopez, Director of Brand Marketing at Lexar, stated in a press release, “The new microSD Express standard offers us a way to deliver a memory card with incomparable performance in that form factor. We’re excited to create a card for our customers that leverages the benefits of this new standard and prepares gamers for the next generation of handheld gaming.”
So while the gap between the fastest UHS-I card and the most advanced MicroSD Express card is evident, we’ll need to wait for real-world tests to see these claims realized. In the meantime, check out our hands-on experiences with the Nintendo Switch 2 to get a glimpse of what’s coming.
