Last week, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, revealing that the new console exclusively supports expansion via MicroSD Express cards. This shift may be inconvenient for those with existing MicroSD collections, but it's a logical choice given the significantly faster performance of MicroSD Express cards. These cards utilize a PCIe 3.1 interface, allowing them to achieve read/write speeds that rival the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) used in the Switch 2's internal storage. This means games stored on an expansion card should load just as quickly as those stored internally, albeit at the expense of not being able to use less expensive, non-Express MicroSD cards.
MicroSD vs. MicroSD Express
Over the years, MicroSD cards have seen six different speed ratings, starting from the original 12.5MB/s, which seems slow by today's standards. The evolution continued with SD High Speed at 25MB/s up to SD UHS III at 312MB/s. However, five years ago, the SD Association introduced the SD Express standard, which dramatically increased speed capabilities. The key difference with SD Express is its use of a PCIe 3.1 interface rather than the slower UHS-I interface. This technology, also used by NVMe SSDs, allows full-sized SD Express cards to reach transfer speeds up to 3,940MB/s. While MicroSD Express cards don't match these top speeds, they can still achieve up to 985MB/s, making them three times faster than the fastest non-Express MicroSD cards.
Why Does the Switch 2 Require MicroSD Express?
Though Nintendo typically keeps its hardware rationale under wraps, the requirement for MicroSD Express cards on the Switch 2 is likely driven by the need for speed. A game installed on a MicroSD Express card will load much faster than one on a traditional UHS-I MicroSD card due to the PCIe 3.1 interface. This move could foreshadow similar requirements for future handheld gaming PCs.
The Switch 2's internal storage has been upgraded to UFS from eMMC, making it essential for expansion media to match these speeds. Early demos have shown significant load time improvements, ranging from a 35% reduction during fast travel (as reported by Polygon) to a 3x faster initial load (according to Digital Foundry). These enhancements might be due to the faster internal storage or the improved CPU and GPU, which can process data more quickly. The requirement for MicroSD Express ensures that external storage won't bottleneck future games needing faster disk access.
Moreover, this decision future-proofs the console. The current fastest standard for SD cards, SD 8.0 Specification, allows full-size SD Express cards to reach speeds up to 3,942MB/s. While MicroSD Express cards aren't there yet, they could reach these speeds in the future, especially if the Switch 2's hardware supports it.
MicroSD Express Capacity Options
MicroSD Express cards have been slow to gain traction, but the Switch 2's launch might change that. Currently, options are limited. Lexar offers a single MicroSD Express card in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, with the 1TB card priced at $199. SanDisk, on the other hand, has a 256GB MicroSD Express card, matching the Switch 2's internal storage capacity. As the console hits the market, we can expect more options, especially as companies like Samsung enter the fray and increase production.
Lexar Play Pro MicroSD Express
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SanDisk MicroSD Express 256GB
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