Following the highly anticipated reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, some intriguing technical details about the console have come to light. Perhaps the most significant is its requirement for a different type of MicroSD card, known as MicroSD Express. Brace yourself, though – these cards could be a hefty addition to your gaming budget. If current product pricing is any indicator, these MicroSD Express cards are notably more expensive than many of today’s SSDs. They range from 20 to 25 cents per gigabyte of storage, while some budget SSDs cost as little as 5 to 6 cents per gigabyte. This price jump is due in part to the integration of NVMe and PCIe 3.0 support, familiar to those who use M.2 SSDs, which these new MicroSD Express cards feature.
Sandisk has unveiled their MicroSD Express cards with a price tag of $49.99 for 128GB, and $64.99 for the 256GB version. These cards boast speeds reaching up to 880 MB/s for reading, 480 MB/s for writing, and a sustained write speed of 100 MB/s.
Meanwhile, Lexar has entered the scene with an announcement of even larger capacities, going up to 1TB. But, forewarned is forearmed – the price hike for these sizes is anything but gentle.
Lexar’s top-of-the-line Play Pro 1TB MicroSD Express card hits the market at a hefty $199.99, while the 512GB model is priced at $99.99, and the 256GB at $49.99. Lexar claims their cards can reach up to 900 MB/s read speeds and 600 MB/s write speeds.
When comparing costs, Sandisk’s cards sit at $0.39 per gigabyte for the 128GB model, with the 256GB option coming in at $0.25 per gigabyte. Lexar, however, offers a bit more bang for your buck with a consistent price point of $0.20 per gigabyte across all three of their storage options, not to mention higher-end specifications.
### Why Storage is Crucial for the Nintendo Switch 2
Though it sounds promising that the Switch 2 will arrive with a default 256GB of storage, there’s a catch. Even physical game buyers won’t escape downloading the full game onto the system after inserting the cartridge. The cartridge serves merely as a physical license key, which Nintendo calls a “Game-Key Card”. This shift might be due to the industry seeking to cut cartridge production costs, especially with NAND storage prices on the rise.
Take Street Fighter 6, for instance. Even with the cartridge, you’ll need to download an additional 50GB to play, quickly eating into that 256GB built-in storage. This situation essentially mandates purchasing more of the expensive MicroSD cards unless you enjoy juggling installations and deletions every time you insert a new Game-Key Card.
### Understanding the Switch 2’s MicroSD Express Standard
At first glance, a MicroSD Express card may not look too different from a standard one, which could confuse some potential buyers. Yet, the technology leap from the UHS-I standard used by the original Switch is substantial.
The SD Association has classified SD Express speeds into four distinct categories: Class 150, Class 300, Class 450, and Class 600. The numbers indicate the minimum read and write performance in MB/s. Compared to the previous UHS-I standard cards, which had eight pins, these newer cards have either 16 or 17 pins, allowing for enhanced speed capabilities.
With NVMe and PCIe 3.0 interfaces at its core, MicroSD Express can reach theoretical speeds up to 2GB/s when using a PCIe 4.0 interface. For a deeper technical dive, our friends over at AnandTech have you covered.
However, without detailed specs on the Switch 2’s hardware, it’s uncertain if the console will exploit these speeds. Additionally, no announced MicroSD Express card has yet demonstrated these peak speeds in practice.
Joey Lopez, Lexar’s Director of Brand Marketing, echoed the sentiment of excitement in a press release, saying, “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.”
There’s a significant gap between the fastest UHS-I MicroSD Card and the potential of the MicroSD Express technology. Currently, Lexar’s Play Pro MicroSDXC Express card leads the pack, but real-world testing with the Switch 2 will be the true test of its prowess. Until then, we’ve got an exclusive hands-on preview of the Nintendo Switch 2 to keep you informed.
