When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, they introduced a new requirement: users would need to use cards adhering to the microSD Express standard to boost the device’s memory. Following this announcement, both online and brick-and-mortar retailers experienced a massive surge in demand, rapidly selling out their stock. In fact, some staff at Hermitage Akihabara in Japan mentioned, through a translation, that they were moving over 337 cards every hour. This was unexpected, especially considering that microSD Express cards are significantly more expensive than their standard counterparts.
### You’ll Pay More for microSD Express
To give you an idea of the price difference, a Lexar 1TB Play microSD card usually costs $129.99 on Amazon but was marked down to $69.99 at the time of writing. This standard version offers decent speeds, with reads up to 160 MB/s and writes up to 100 MB/s, though it’s still slower than the internal storage of the device. Comparatively, the microSD Express version of the same card offers a blazing fast 900 MB/s read speed and 600 MB/s write speed, outpacing the old standard by more than five times. However, it’s priced considerably higher – originally $199.99, with a current sale price of $172.63, more than double the cost of the non-Express option.
### No Scalping Detected
Despite the sticker shock these cards might bring to Nintendo enthusiasts, demand skyrocketed shortly after the company’s announcement. Interestingly, this surge wasn’t fueled by scalpers. Reports indicate that about 80% of buyers purchased just one card each, with the highest reported individual purchase being three cards. This pattern suggests that most are genuine consumers planning to use these pricey expansion cards once the Switch 2 hits the market.
The microSD Express tech has been around since 2019, but hasn’t become mainstream, mainly due to its higher price tag compared to standard microSD cards and SSDs. For gaming consoles, you often have the option to expand memory by switching out the SSD. However, that process involves a bit of hardware work, like removing the backplate and tinkering with the settings, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Given Nintendo’s tendency to discourage any alterations to their console’s hardware, utilizing microSD Express cards is the easiest and most efficient way to boost the Switch 2’s storage to match the speed of its internal memory. Considering that the new console will feature several major AAA games, its 256 GB internal storage could fill up rapidly. By using these cards, you can keep all your favorite games readily accessible whenever you want to play.
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