Nintendo has officially revealed all regarding its upcoming console and Nintendo Switch successor, the Switch 2. That includes what memory card format it supports. Here’s everything you need to know about MicroSD Express. 

Unlike the Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED which supported standard MicroSD cards, the Switch 2 only works with MicroSD Express. 

Here’s everything you need to know about MicroSD Express on the Nintendo Switch 2.

MicroSD Express on the Switch 2

MicroSD Express is the updated version of MicroSD, a flash memory format commonly used to store data in devices like cameras, phones and consoles. 

While these two cards appear almost identical, MicroSD Express (first launched in 2019) supports significantly faster data transfers, allowing it to take advantage of the upgraded hardware coming with the Switch 2. 

More specifically, a 256GB SanDisk MicroSD Express card might have a read speed of around 880 MB/s and write speeds about 650 MB/s, whereas Nintendo’s own SanDisk 256GB MicroSDXC card for the Switch offers write speeds of up to 90 MB/s and read speeds of up to 100 MB/s.

Nintendo has confirmed that MicroSD cards designed to be paired with the original Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED will not be compatible with the Switch 2, meaning you’ll need to pick up a new memory card alongside your console if you want to upgrade the storage. 

Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch 2 already comes with significantly more internal storage than the original Switch. The company has swapped out the 32GB internal storage in the Switch for 256GB in the Switch 2. That’s eight times more storage, allowing for faster reading and writing of data as well as more room to store your favourite titles. 

That said, there’s a solid chance the higher resolution games will take up more space on your console, so you might still want to invest in a MicroSD Express card to expand that storage further.

Which MicroSD Express card should I get?

Although the Switch 2 boasts eight times the internal storage of the Switch at 256GB, you might already be worried about running out of space ahead of its launch. 

To help you prepare, we’ve rounded up the MicroSD Express cards that’ll be compatible with the Switch 2. However, keep in mind that many MicroSD Express cards have been in short supply ever since Nintendo’s initial announcement.

SanDisk

SanDisk is arguably one of the most well-known names in SD cards, so it’s unsurprising that one of the best possible MicroSD Express cards will come from the brand. 

Although it’s recently been revealed that a version officially licensed for Switch 2 is available, a standard MicroSD Express card will work just as well. Plus, at the time of writing, they aren’t sold out, which means you can nab one ahead of your console arriving. 

The cheapest of the SanDisk MicroSD Express cards is the 128GB iteration, with an RRP of £41.99, followed by a 256GB version, which should set you back £55.99. While there are listings for a 512GB card, at the time of writing, this isn’t available to purchase.

Remember, you don’t need to order the officially licensed version for Nintendo Switch 2. As long as it’s a microSD Express card, then it’ll work with the console.

Samsung

Available via Nintendo’s official site to those invited to pre-order a Switch 2, Samsung’s 256GB Nintendo-certified microSD Express card will launch alongside the console on the 5th of June. 

At the time of writing, unlike SanDisk, Samsung’s microSD Express is currently available only in the official Nintendo collaboration version. 

Lexar Play Pro

Want to really maximise your Switch 2’s game library? The Lexar Play Pro microSD Express card offers up to a whopping 1TB of storage space, marking a world first. 

Although it’s not officially available to buy just yet, it’s set to have an MSRP of $199.99. If you don’t want to spend as much, the 512GB model will be $99.99, while the 256GB model should cost around $49.99.