MicroSD Express: Essential Upgrade for Nintendo Switch 2

Last week, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, revealing that it exclusively supports expansion via MicroSD Express cards. While this may be inconvenient for those with existing MicroSD collections, the decision is justified by the superior speed of MicroSD Express. These cards leverage an interface that allows them to achieve read/write speeds comparable to the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) found in the Switch 2's internal storage. This is crucial as it theoretically enables games stored on the expansion card to load as quickly as those stored internally, albeit at the cost of compatibility with slower, less expensive non-Express MicroSD cards.

MicroSD vs. MicroSD Express

Over the years, MicroSD cards have evolved through six different speed ratings. Starting with an initial speed of 12.5MB/s, which is now considered slow, the standards have advanced to SD High Speed at 25MB/s, up to SD UHS III at 312MB/s. However, the introduction of the SD Express standard five years ago marked a significant leap in performance.

The key advancement with SD Express is its use of a PCIe 3.1 interface, a stark contrast to the slower UHS-I interface used previously. PCIe is the same technology that powers high-speed NVMe SSDs, enabling much higher data transfer rates. Full-sized SD Express cards can achieve speeds up to 3,940MB/s, a vast improvement over traditional SD cards.

Although MicroSD Express cards don't reach the top speeds of their full-sized counterparts, they still offer impressive performance, with speeds up to 985MB/s—three times faster than the fastest non-Express MicroSD card.

Why Does the Switch 2 Require MicroSD Express?

While Nintendo typically keeps its hardware rationale under wraps, there are compelling reasons for the Switch 2 to mandate MicroSD Express cards. The primary advantage is speed. Games installed on a MicroSD Express card will load significantly faster than those on traditional UHS-I MicroSD cards, thanks to the PCIe 3.1 interface. This move could foreshadow similar requirements in future handheld gaming PCs.

The internal storage of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been upgraded to UFS from eMMC, making it logical for Nintendo to demand comparable speeds from its expansion storage. Although exact load times for games like "Breath of the Wild" on the Switch 2 are yet to be confirmed, initial demos suggest significant improvements. According to Polygon, fast travel load times have been reduced by 35%, and Digital Foundry has reported a threefold increase in initial load times. These enhancements may be due to the faster internal storage, but they could also be influenced by the improved CPU and GPU, which can process data more efficiently. The main point is that Nintendo's external storage needs to match these speeds to avoid bottlenecking future games that require faster storage.

Additionally, requiring MicroSD Express cards allows for future-proofing. The current fastest standard, SD 8.0 Specification, enables full-size SD Express cards to reach speeds up to 3,942MB/s. While MicroSD Express cards can't achieve these speeds yet, future advancements could potentially allow them to do so, especially if the Switch 2's hardware supports it.

MicroSD Express Capacity Options

Despite their potential, MicroSD Express cards have seen slow adoption. With the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, the market may soon expand. Currently, Lexar offers a single MicroSD Express card in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, with the 1TB option priced at $199.

Lexar Play Pro MicroSD Express

SanDisk also lists one MicroSD Express card, maxing out at 256GB, which matches the internal storage capacity of the Switch 2. At the time of the Switch 2's launch, it's unlikely many MicroSD Express cards will exceed 512GB. However, as demand grows, companies like Samsung are expected to introduce higher-capacity options.

SanDisk MicroSD Express 256GB