MicroSD Express: A Must for Nintendo Switch 2

Last week, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, revealing that this new console will exclusively support expansion via MicroSD Express cards. This choice might be frustrating for those with existing MicroSD collections, but it's a strategic move due to the superior speed of MicroSD Express. These cards utilize an interface that allows them to match the read/write speeds of the UFS (Universal Flash Storage) in the Switch 2's internal storage. This means games stored on these expansion cards should load just as quickly as those installed internally, though it does mean forgoing the use of less expensive non-Express MicroSD cards.

MicroSD vs. MicroSD Express

Over the years, MicroSD cards have seen six different speed ratings evolve. Starting from the initial SD card speed of 12.5MB/s, which is slow by today's standards, the industry progressed through various upgrades. The journey began with SD High Speed at 25MB/s and culminated in SD UHS III (Ultra High Speed) at 312MB/s. However, the game-changer came with the introduction of the SD Express standard five years ago, which significantly boosted speeds.

The key advancement with SD Express is the shift to a PCIe 3.1 interface, a stark contrast to the slower UHS-I interface of traditional cards. PCIe is the same technology used in high-performance NVMe SSDs, enabling much higher potential speeds. Full-sized SD Express cards can achieve data transfer rates up to 3,940MB/s, far surpassing older SD cards.

While MicroSD Express cards don't reach the top speeds of their larger counterparts, they are still impressively fast, capable of hitting speeds up to 985MB/s, which is three times faster than the fastest non-Express MicroSD card.

Why Does the Switch 2 Require MicroSD Express?

Nintendo's decision to mandate MicroSD Express cards for the Switch 2's expansion may seem opaque, but the reasoning is compelling. The primary benefit is speed. Games loaded from a MicroSD Express card will run significantly faster than those from a traditional UHS-I MicroSD card, thanks to the PCIe 3.1 interface. This requirement could foreshadow similar demands in future handheld gaming PCs.

The Switch 2's internal storage has been upgraded to UFS from eMMC, aligning with the need for faster external storage to complement it. While exact load times for games like Breath of the Wild are still pending, early demonstrations suggest significant improvements, from a 35% faster fast travel time according to Polygon, to a threefold initial load speed increase as reported by Digital Foundry. These enhancements could be attributed to the faster internal storage, CPU, and GPU, but the point remains: Nintendo needed its external storage to match these speeds to prevent future games from being bottlenecked by slower SD cards.

Moreover, this move sets the stage for even faster storage solutions down the line. The current pinnacle for SD cards is the SD 8.0 Specification, enabling full-size SD Express cards to reach speeds of 3,942MB/s. While MicroSD Express cards aren't there yet, the potential for future upgrades is clear, especially if the Switch 2's hardware supports such speeds.

MicroSD Express Capacity Options

MicroSD Express cards have been slow to gain traction, but with the Switch 2's launch on the horizon, this is likely to change. Currently, options are limited. Lexar, for instance, offers a single MicroSD Express card in capacities of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, with the 1TB variant priced at $199.

Lexar Play Pro MicroSD Express

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SanDisk, on the other hand, only lists one MicroSD Express card, topping out at 256GB, which matches the internal storage of the Switch 2. As the Switch 2 launches, expect the availability of higher capacity MicroSD Express cards to be limited to around 512GB. However, this landscape is expected to evolve rapidly as companies like Samsung ramp up production of these memory cards.

SanDisk MicroSD Express 256GB

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