One of the downsides to using new technology.
Storage space will be a nightmare to manage for Nintendo Switch 2 users because this console only features 256 GB of internal storage (some of which will be reserved for the operating system), and is only compatible with one type of card.
"Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards," Nintendo informed. "If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2."[1]
MicroSD Express cards are a fairly new technology. Although they were announced by the SD Association in February 2019, widespread commercial availability was limited until around 2024. Needless to say, they sell out pretty quickly.
Presently, the Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) with an MSRP of $59.99 is the only officially announced licensed card. The specific data transfer speeds for this card have yet to be revealed. This card isn't ideal, considering a majority of the announced third-party titles will require a full game download. The situation will be even worse if you're going all-digital. Here's the download size for a few of these titles:
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Split Fiction - 73 GB.
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Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition - 59.8 GB.
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HITMAN World of Assassination - Signature Edition - 59.6 GB.
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Yakuza 0 Director's Cut - 53.7 GB.
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Mario Kart World - 23.4 GB.
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Hogwarts Legacy - 23.4 GB.
The more ideal Lexar 1TB Play PRO microSD Express Card has been selling out quickly on Amazon.com. It delivers read speeds up to 900MB/s, which is pretty amazing considering the Switch 2 supports PCIe 3.0 x1, with a theoretical maximum speed of 985 MB/s. The only downside is that the MSPR for this product is $199.99.
No matter which card you choose, a system update via the internet is required the first time you use a microSD Express card on the Switch 2.
Sources:
- Nintendo. "Samsung microSD Express Card – 256GB for Nintendo Switch™ 2." nintendo.com. Retrieved May 19, 2025.