When Nintendo rolled out the announcement for the Switch 2, the company revealed that users would need microSD Express cards to bump up the device’s memory. This revelation led to a shopping frenzy, with both online platforms and physical stores selling out rapidly. In Japan, Hermitage Akihabara reported an incredible turnover — selling over 337 cards each hour, according to local sources. This wave of purchases caught many off guard, especially considering that microSD Express cards are significantly pricier than their standard counterparts.
Let’s talk dollars and speed. The Lexar 1TB Play microSD card, usually listed at $129.99 on Amazon, was spotted on sale for $69.99. Its performance includes a respectable read speed of 160 MB/s and a write speed of 100 MB/s. However, it doesn’t quite match up to the turbo-charged internal storage speeds. Enter the microSD Express variant: this powerhouse boasts a whopping 900 MB/s read speed and a write speed of 600 MB/s, outpacing the old standard by more than five times. But, this speed comes at a steep price. The Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card typically retails for $199.99, with a current discount bringing it down to $172.63 — still over double the cost of the regular version.
Despite the potential financial sting for Nintendo fans, these cards flew off the shelves post-announcement. Interestingly, the buying surge doesn’t appear to be driven by scalpers. Reports suggest that about 80% of buyers purchased just one card each, with a maximum of three per person. This implies that most buyers were genuine consumers gearing up for the Switch 2 launch.
The microSD Express standard was introduced back in 2019, but hasn’t been widely adopted until now, largely due to its hefty price tag. Portable storage users preferred the cheaper standard microSD cards, while those needing more substantial storage opted for more affordable SSDs. While many gaming consoles allow internal memory expansion by switching out the SSD, the process can be cumbersome, often requiring users to remove the backplate and tweak some settings.
Since Nintendo isn’t keen on users meddling with the guts of its consoles, using microSD Express cards offers a painless way to boost the Switch 2’s storage, almost matching the speed of internal storage. This enhancement is timely, given that the console is set to host several new AAA games which could easily max out its 256 GB base storage. With microSD Express, you can keep all your top game picks at your fingertips.
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