When Nintendo unveiled plans for the Switch 2, they introduced the need for microSD Express cards to boost the console’s memory. This led to a rush both online and in-store, as eager buyers in Japan snapped up these cards at lightning speed. Staff at Hermitage Akihabara reported an astonishing rate of over 337 cards sold each hour, surprising everyone, especially considering their high price compared to traditional microSD cards.
Let’s break down the numbers. The Lexar 1TB Play microSD, a popular choice, usually goes for $129.99 on Amazon, though it’s on sale for $69.99 as we speak. It offers a read speed of 160 MB/s and a write speed of up to 100 MB/s. It’s decent, but nowhere near the speed of the new microSD Express version, which boasts a significant jump to 900 MB/s read and 600 MB/s write speeds. This upgrade in speed doesn’t come cheap, however. The Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card originally costs $199.99, with a current discounted price of $172.63, which is still over twice the cost of the standard version.
Despite this expense, the demand surged after Nintendo’s announcement. Interestingly, this wasn’t due to resellers trying to make a quick buck, as nearly all customers bought only one card, with nobody purchasing more than three. This indicates that the majority of these buyers are getting ready for when the Switch 2 hits the shelves.
Although the microSD Express technology has been around since 2019, its higher costs have limited widespread use, especially when stacked against cheaper alternatives like standard microSD cards for portable needs or SSDs for larger, fixed storage. While many consoles allow users to upgrade internal storage by swapping SSDs, the process can be complicated, requiring hardware adjustments. Nintendo, known for discouraging hardware modifications on its consoles, promises a hassle-free solution with these high-speed microSD Express cards for the Switch 2. This improvement is likely necessary given the new AAA games on the horizon, which could quickly consume the console’s 256 GB internal memory. This means players can keep their favorite games at their fingertips without worrying about storage limits.
