{"id":103786,"date":"2025-12-26T08:18:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T08:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/26\/the-best-microsd-cards-for-the-nintendo-switch-2\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T08:18:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T08:18:16","slug":"the-best-microsd-cards-for-the-nintendo-switch-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/26\/the-best-microsd-cards-for-the-nintendo-switch-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">If you want to expand the storage of your <a data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/nintendo\/switch-2\/\" data-ylk=\"slk:Nintendo Switch 2;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Nintendo Switch 2<\/a>, you\u2019ll need a microSD Express card. This is <em>not<\/em> the same as the more traditional <a data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:microSD cards;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">microSD cards<\/a> you may have bought for the original Switch or other <a data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/best-handheld-gaming-system-140018863.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:gaming handhelds;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">gaming handhelds<\/a>; Express cards are newer, faster and significantly more expensive on average. But they\u2019re <a data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/nintendo\/the-nintendo-switch-2-promises-major-storage-upgrades-but-itll-cost-you-193758964.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:your only choice;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">your only choice<\/a>, and given how much space <a data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/store\/products\/cyberpunk-2077-ultimate-edition-switch-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:certain;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">certain<\/a> Switch 2 <a data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/store\/products\/split-fiction-switch-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:games;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">games<\/a> chew up, you\u2019ll probably have no choice but to get one eventually. Which to buy, though? If you\u2019re looking for the best microSD card for the Switch 2 today, we\u2019ve broken down what you should know before taking the plunge.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"the-best-microsd-cards-for-the-switch-2-arent-all-that-important\">The best microSD cards for the Switch 2 (aren&#8217;t all that important)<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A collection of microSD Express cards sit propped up on a marble table against the display of a Nintendo Switch 2.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/oS0ifgwVMTORaG8G4r_dEw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-08\/f2871a40-7217-11f0-9abf-6d1045de6d8d\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"\/><span>Jeff Dunn for Engadget<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Switch 2 is the first mainstream device to require microSD Express for storage expansion, so there aren\u2019t many options available to buy just yet. Of the handful of compatible models released thus far, we\u2019ve now tested seven: the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:7;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;linkText=SanDisk+microSD+Express+Card&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1taWNyb3NkLWV4cHJlc3MtbWVtb3J5LWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNEU1FYRk4tMjU2Ry1HTjROTiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1taWNyb3NkLWV4cHJlc3MtbWVtb3J5LWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNEU1FYRk4tMjU2Ry1HTjROTiJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAawhDLDIRUrbhgJ5SdB30E5LmpfZ6YbybMZEIwCwiiXc&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-microsd-express-memory-card%3Fsku%3DSDSQXFN-256G-GN4NN&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:SanDisk microSD Express Card;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:7;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">SanDisk microSD Express Card<\/a> (aka the \u201c<a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Walmart;elmt:;cpos:8;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=3719d8d4-5edd-4817-998a-91f3229e7323&amp;itemId=walmart_transaction_16003402425&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Walmart&amp;linkText=SanDisk+GamePlay+microSD+Express+Card&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YWxtYXJ0LmNvbS9pcC9TYW5EaXNrLTUxMkdCLUdhbWVQTEFZLW1pY3JvU0QtRXhwcmVzcy1DYXJkLzE2MDAzNDAyNDI1IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIyZGY1Y2FhYS05Nzk4LTQxMTUtYThmMC0yNjA1MDk4MGNjMTAiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LndhbG1hcnQuY29tL2lwL1NhbkRpc2stNTEyR0ItR2FtZVBMQVktbWljcm9TRC1FeHByZXNzLUNhcmQvMTYwMDM0MDI0MjUifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAZavPbTb8kqr5RbjCx-bsM6y2MeRL7EbrR2oF7vUmQa6&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FSanDisk-512GB-GamePLAY-microSD-Express-Card%2F16003402425&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:SanDisk GamePlay microSD Express Card;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Walmart;elmt:;cpos:8;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">SanDisk GamePlay microSD Express Card<\/a>\u201d at Walmart), the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:9;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0DYB7ZGR3&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;linkText=Lexar+Play+Pro&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFlCN1pHUjM_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFlCN1pHUjMiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAVBHRdBVN0OaaRCgoOw42rROKWT1CQvOTYGZIdEFI-tv&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DYB7ZGR3&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" data-aps-asin=\"B0DYB7ZGR3\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lexar Play Pro;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:9;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Lexar Play Pro<\/a>, the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=5e0bed65-d2f8-4b34-9b8f-955218c0e37a&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Best+Buy&amp;linkText=Samsung+microSD+Card+for+Nintendo+Switch+2&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iZXN0YnV5LmNvbS9zaXRlL25pbnRlbmRvLXNhbXN1bmctbWljcm9zZC1leHByZXNzLWNhcmQtMjU2Z2IvNjYyOTUzMy5wP3NrdUlkPTY2Mjk1MzMiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6IjJkZjVjYWFhLTk3OTgtNDExNS1hOGYwLTI2MDUwOTgwY2MxMCIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmVzdGJ1eS5jb20vc2l0ZS9uaW50ZW5kby1zYW1zdW5nLW1pY3Jvc2QtZXhwcmVzcy1jYXJkLTI1NmdiLzY2Mjk1MzMucD9za3VJZD02NjI5NTMzIn0&amp;signature=AQAAASpCOuxV7TbisNezYNKIZheOdo0I10odVcRTyYcNGRKr&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fnintendo-samsung-microsd-express-card-256gb%2F6629533.p%3FskuId%3D6629533&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Samsung microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Best Buy;elmt:;cpos:10;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Samsung microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2<\/a>, the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FT99KCV8&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;linkText=Samsung+P9+Express&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1NhbXN1bmctRXhwcmVzcy1taWNyb1NEWEMtTmludGVuZG8tU3dpdGNoLUFNL2RwL0IwRlQ5OUtDVjg_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1NhbXN1bmctRXhwcmVzcy1taWNyb1NEWEMtTmludGVuZG8tU3dpdGNoLUFNL2RwL0IwRlQ5OUtDVjgiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAYFUD-oxdWiwmC40cKYvL92-x9D29o-U0wcm28406oic&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSamsung-Express-microSDXC-Nintendo-Switch-AM%2Fdp%2FB0FT99KCV8&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" data-aps-asin=\"B0FT99KCV8\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Samsung P9 Express;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:11;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Samsung P9 Express<\/a>, the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:12;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pny.com\/PNY-microSD-Express-U3-V30-A1-microSD-Flash-Memory-Card\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:PNY microSD Express Card;cpos:12;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">PNY microSD Express Card<\/a>, the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:GameStop;elmt:;cpos:13;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=ffe106af-8248-4af3-9098-a2d4fd637766&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=GameStop&amp;linkText=GameStop+Express+microSD+Card+for+Nintendo+Switch+2&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAARSzR49AeAF_R_b85SHdgPfuH-p2Ds87C4nTSnxeW1Rg&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamestop.com%2Fgaming-accessories%2Fmemory%2Fnintendo-switch-2%2Fproducts%2Fgamestop-256gb-express-micro-sd-card-for-nintendo-switch-2%2F419190.html&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:GameStop;elmt:;cpos:13;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2<\/a> and the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Walmart;elmt:;cpos:14;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=3719d8d4-5edd-4817-998a-91f3229e7323&amp;itemId=walmart_transaction_15706752314&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Walmart&amp;linkText=Onn+microSD+Express+Card&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YWxtYXJ0LmNvbS9pcC9PTk4tTUlDUk8tU0QtRVhQUkVTUy8xNTcwNjc1MjMxNCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YWxtYXJ0LmNvbS9pcC9PTk4tTUlDUk8tU0QtRVhQUkVTUy8xNTcwNjc1MjMxNCJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAQmjhQGB5TkdnFKHauXFe3XrKoPxvqeZ6P4lvEYvmRNB&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FONN-MICRO-SD-EXPRESS%2F15706752314&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Onn microSD Express Card;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Walmart;elmt:;cpos:14;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Onn microSD Express Card<\/a>. The first five are made by genuine storage manufacturers, while the GameStop and Onn cards appear to be rebadged versions of other models. We used the 256GB version of every card except for Lexar Play Pro, which was 1TB.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">After timing these microSD Express cards across a range of Switch 2 games, our advice is simple: Get whichever one is in stock for the lowest price in the capacity you want. They aren\u2019t identically<em>\u00a0<\/em>fast, especially if you want to move a game to the card from the console\u2019s internal storage (or vice versa). But the differences in load times and overall performance within actual games are tough to notice unless you have a stopwatch handy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">All five cards loaded up the digital version of <a data-i13n=\"cpos:15;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/video-games-weekly-mario-kart-world-is-the-opposite-of-punishing-110039837.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Mario Kart World;cpos:15;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>Mario Kart World<\/em><\/a>, for instance, between 18 and 20 seconds. Each loaded the first Grand Prix race in about 6.5 seconds. Getting to the start screen of <a data-i13n=\"cpos:16;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/store\/products\/cyberpunk-2077-ultimate-edition-switch-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Cyberpunk 2077;cpos:16;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>Cyberpunk 2077<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0<\/em>took about 38 or 39 seconds in each case. Loading a save in a particularly asset-heavy area (<a data-i13n=\"cpos:17;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberpunk.fandom.com\/wiki\/Jig-Jig_Street\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jig-Jig Street;cpos:17;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Jig-Jig Street<\/a>) then took between 26 and 29 seconds, depending on the card. (The one exception was with the Onn card, which averaged closer to 31 seconds with that particular task, though that\u2019s also the cheapest choice.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">With <a data-i13n=\"cpos:18;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/store\/products\/fast-fusion-switch-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Fast Fusion;cpos:18;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>Fast Fusion<\/em><\/a>, a smaller native Switch 2 game, the initial load always took six to seven seconds, while each card loaded the first championship race in roughly 4 seconds. It was a similar situation with the Switch 2 upgrade for <a data-i13n=\"cpos:19;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/store\/products\/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-nintendo-switch-2-edition-upgrade-pack-switch-2\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild;cpos:19;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild<\/em><\/a> (using a Switch 1 cartridge): Each card took just over six seconds to get to the start screen, between 19 and 20 seconds to load a save just before the final boss, about 16 seconds to fast travel between <a data-i13n=\"cpos:20;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zeldadungeon.net\/wiki\/Kakariko_Village_(Breath_of_the_Wild)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Kakariko Village;cpos:20;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Kakariko Village<\/a> and <a data-i13n=\"cpos:21;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/zelda.fandom.com\/wiki\/Korok_Forest\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Korok Forest;cpos:21;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Korok Forest<\/a>, and so on. We saw no significant issues with in-game loads when playing each game, either.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Two microSD cards, one mostly black and one mostly red, rest on top of a brown wooden stand above a white window ledge.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/G0Lve8TgvvBx67yNErhanw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-05\/df6c3320-3c91-11f0-bfff-c93eaa9e5206\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">The SanDisk microSD Express Card and Lexar Play Pro.<\/span><span> (Jeff Dunn for Engadget)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">All of this suggests that the Switch 2 has a relatively specific target for these cards to hit, and that there may not be much room for one model to leap too far out in front of the others. We\u2019ll also note that the console\u2019s built-in storage was consistently faster than any external option: The gap wasn\u2019t always big, but no card truly outpaced it in any of our tests. Loading that demanding area in <em>Cyberpunk<\/em>, for example, took about 22.5 seconds on average. So if you want the absolute fastest load times, don\u2019t put your game on a card at all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">If you need the mental comfort of knowing you technically<em>\u00a0<\/em>have the best card available, get the <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:22;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0DFQGVLYF&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;linkText=SanDisk+microSD+Express+Card&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAXmuvkNFLPqM_rT8uO6hM1My0zsoQolU8ZHS6YBs78dY&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSanDisk-256GB-microSD-Express-SDSQXFN-256G-GN4NN%2Fdp%2FB0DFQGVLYF%2F&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" data-aps-asin=\"B0DFQGVLYF\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:SanDisk microSD Express Card;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:22;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">SanDisk microSD Express Card<\/a>. It had no outliers across our many game loading tests, and it was consistently right near the top when it came to moving games to and from system storage, which means it offers strong sequential read and write performance. Benchmark testing on PC with tools like CrystalDiskMark backed this up, as noted in our broader <a data-i13n=\"cpos:23;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-microsd-card-130038282.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:microSD card buying guide;cpos:23;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">microSD card buying guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"commerce miniModule [&amp;+.miniModule]:border-t [&amp;+.miniModule]:border-dirty-seagull dark:[&amp;+.miniModule]:border-charcoal col-body [&amp;+:not(.miniModule)]:mt-3\" id=\"ef6ffd2f3a3249f18080f23ecd948228\">\n<div class=\"group flex py-5 @container\/p\"><a data-ylk=\"elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;sec:mini-product;aid:amazon_B0DFQGVLYF;cpos:1;itmId:$60;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-manual;pid:amazon_B0DFQGVLYF;pdid:SanDisk microSD Express Card (256GB);subsec:commlist;elmt:chooseForMe;itemcost:$60;sellerN:Amazon;pkgt:horizontal-img;pos:1;slk:$60 at Amazon;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0DFQGVLYF&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=pnr-product-module&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=product-url&amp;itemName=SanDisk+microSD+Express+Card+%28256GB%29&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1NhbkRpc2stMjU2R0ItbWljcm9TRC1FeHByZXNzLVNEU1FYRk4tMjU2Ry1HTjROTi9kcC9CMERGUUdWTFlGLz90YWc9Z2RndDBjLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIyZGY1Y2FhYS05Nzk4LTQxMTUtYThmMC0yNjA1MDk4MGNjMTAiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vU2FuRGlzay0yNTZHQi1taWNyb1NELUV4cHJlc3MtU0RTUVhGTi0yNTZHLUdONE5OL2RwL0IwREZRR1ZMWUYvIiwiZHluYW1pY0NlbnRyYWxUcmFja2luZ0lkIjp0cnVlLCJzaXRlSWQiOiJ1cy1lbmdhZGdldCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6InBuci1wcm9kdWN0LW1vZHVsZSIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InByb2R1Y3QtdXJsIn0&amp;signature=AQAAASAOnz27bAVSEHcN6YXwodXZ0AGNgHdCFl9mZ9N-hPhi&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSanDisk-256GB-microSD-Express-SDSQXFN-256G-GN4NN%2Fdp%2FB0DFQGVLYF%2F&amp;salePrice=59.99&amp;price=59.99&amp;itemSourceId=B0DFQGVLYF&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid mr-4 h-[78px] w-[104px] shrink-0 overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-grey-hair @xl\/p:h-[90px] @xl\/p:w-[120px]\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Image for the mini product module\" data-aps-asin=\"B0DFQGVLYF\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image for the mini product module\" class=\"h-full transition duration-300 ease-in-out object-contain focus:scale-105 group-[:hover:not(:has(.copyCouponCode:hover,.additionalMiniCTA:hover))]:scale-105\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/lnydtfkRvefdFWDqo2Hzkg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDtoPTE4MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/HaIVfZa8SSEjO_58qy4z6Q--~B\/aD0zMjE7dz00MjY7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-08\/d50d3700-7218-11f0-bfdf-af675b841e35\" height=\"90\" width=\"120\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Putting <em>Mario Kart<\/em> (a 21.9GB file) on that card took four minutes and 39 seconds on average, which was only second to the Lexar Play Pro by six seconds. It was the fastest to write <em>Fast Fusion<\/em> (3.5GB), taking an average of 27 seconds across three runs. Only PNY\u2019s card was faster to move games back to the console\u2019s storage, but that one was far slower at writing games to the card \u2014 getting <em>Mario Kart <\/em>on there took seven minutes and 11 seconds on average. Just note that the 128GB version of SanDisk\u2019s card has slower sequential writes than the larger versions, including much slower <em>sustained<\/em> write speeds (100 MB\/s vs 210-220 MB\/s). So transferring a game to that particular model will take much longer. The Onn card was also slower to move games back to system storage, taking about 50 seconds more than the SanDisk with <em>Mario Kart<\/em> and nearly three minutes longer with <em>Cyberpunk<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Practically speaking, though, speed differences aren\u2019t as important in this case as having lots of space to hold games at a price you can live with. To make things easy, we\u2019ve listed every Express card we\u2019ve seen at retailers at the time of writing below. Remember: You want microSD <em>Express<\/em>, not \u201cExtreme,\u201d like the branding SanDisk uses for some <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:24;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;linkText=conventional+microSD+cards&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQUYtMDMyRy1HTjZNQSIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL21pY3Jvc2QtY2FyZHMvc2FuZGlzay1leHRyZW1lLXVocy1pLW1pY3Jvc2Q_c2t1PVNEU1FYQUYtMDMyRy1HTjZNQSJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAXo-7eOJpC_4vXss-y_Jjx5E2IHiXrb9lT6uQLdx8XmK&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Fmemory-cards%2Fmicrosd-cards%2Fsandisk-extreme-uhs-i-microsd%3Fsku%3DSDSQXAF-032G-GN6MA&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:conventional microSD cards;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:24;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">conventional microSD cards<\/a>. A microSD Express card will have a big \u201cEX\u201d logo printed on it.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"128gb\"><strong>128GB<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<li class=\"list-mb ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-[[fullbleed-start_body-start]_auto_[body-end_fullbleed-end]]\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:25;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0DFQKQ9CB&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;linkText=SanDisk+microSD+Express+Card&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAQutVcLySsRzz9QPjUNXSVNVFtDQSq18tVeBdiQeWHUz&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSanDisk-256GB-microSD-Express-SDSQXFN-256G-GN4NN%2Fdp%2FB0DFQKQ9CB%2F&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" data-aps-asin=\"B0DFQKQ9CB\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:SanDisk microSD Express Card;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:25;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">SanDisk microSD Express Card<\/a> ($64 MSRP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-mb ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-[[fullbleed-start_body-start]_auto_[body-end_fullbleed-end]]\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:26;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0F8PF2D1F&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;linkText=PNY+microSD+Express+Card&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRjhQRjJEMUY_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRjhQRjJEMUYiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAecjISeaXKY4lVZNHIDNCy45tioM2ajLzgA1SjBoDnxG&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0F8PF2D1F&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" data-aps-asin=\"B0F8PF2D1F\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:PNY microSD Express Card;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:26;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">PNY microSD Express Card<\/a> ($48 MSRP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"256gb\"><strong>256GB<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"512gb\"><strong>512GB<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"heading-mb col-body text-[1.125rem]\/[1.375rem] font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"1tb\"><strong>1TB<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<li class=\"list-mb ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-[[fullbleed-start_body-start]_auto_[body-end_fullbleed-end]]\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:40;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0DYB9TNB4&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;linkText=Lexar+Play+Pro&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFlCOVROQjQ_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFlCOVROQjQiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAQSHI3MYM-7zQftjmcDVdAKifHH0N02FwVA1IZgv2D1S&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DYB9TNB4&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" data-aps-asin=\"B0DYB9TNB4\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"gdgt0c-p-v-3iq-20\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lexar Play Pro;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon;elmt:;cpos:40;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Lexar Play Pro<\/a> ($220 MSRP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-mb ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-[[fullbleed-start_body-start]_auto_[body-end_fullbleed-end]]\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:GameStop;elmt:;cpos:41;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=ffe106af-8248-4af3-9098-a2d4fd637766&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=GameStop&amp;linkText=GameStop+Express+microSD+Card+for+Nintendo+Switch+2&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAARZ-H_EEOJoKzxXKiHHCyDBzRzfZ_yPdqD_Pv9OdjTFa&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamestop.com%2Fgaming-accessories%2Fmemory%2Fnintendo-switch-2%2Fproducts%2Fgamestop-express-micro-sd-card-for-nintendo-switch-2-1tb%2F20008707-7005d463.html&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:GameStop;elmt:;cpos:41;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">GameStop Express microSD Card for Nintendo Switch 2<\/a> ($190 MSRP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A graphic showing the logos found on the microSD Express cards required by the Nintendo Switch 2 for storage expansion.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ZuO5P80PyENeDcOfalNC4Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-05\/66d1cd10-3c93-11f0-afb3-b8b6d486e262\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">All microSD Express cards will have this &#8220;EX&#8221; logo printed on them.<\/span><span> (Nintendo\/Engadget)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">As you can see, while the SanDisk card is fast, it\u2019s also the most expensive of an already-pricey bunch. Is it worth an extra $10-20 to shave a couple seconds off certain loads in certain games, or a couple minutes when moving a game to external storage? Probably not for most people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">But stock for all of these cards has been a bit patchy since the Switch 2 landed, particularly for the Walmart Onn model, which has typically been the cheapest choice. More recently, the GameStop-branded cards seem to have sold out too. If only one card is actually available by the time you read this \u2014 and you must have it today \u2014 it\u2019s safe to just get it. You won\u2019t lose or gain all that much when it comes to real-world performance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">We\u2019ve recommended holding off on buying a microSD Express card for as long as possible in previous updates to this guide, and ultimately each model above should still come down in price over time. We saw multiple <a data-i13n=\"cpos:42;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/deals\/switch-2-black-friday-deals-these-microsd-express-cards-are-up-to-25-percent-off-151331318.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Express card discounts;cpos:42;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Express card discounts<\/a> during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, for instance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">But between President Trump\u2019s <a data-i13n=\"cpos:43;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/topic\/tariffs\/\" data-ylk=\"slk:tariff hikes;cpos:43;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">tariff hikes<\/a> and the ongoing <a data-i13n=\"cpos:44;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/pc\/the-ai-boom-could-soon-send-gpu-prices-soaring-so-nows-a-good-time-to-buy-one-153000063.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:AI-driven shortages;cpos:44;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">AI-driven shortages<\/a> for memory and high-capacity storage, you\u2019d be justified if you wanted to grab the largest card you can reasonably afford sooner rather than later. These things are still pricey compared to traditional microSD cards: The <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Samsung Electronics;elmt:;cpos:45;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f85e63cd-e13c-4f9d-991c-9fbaadede3ac&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Samsung+Electronics&amp;linkText=Samsung+Pro+Plus&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5zYW1zdW5nLmNvbS91cy9jb21wdXRpbmcvbWVtb3J5LXN0b3JhZ2UvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmRzL3Byby1wbHVzLWFkYXB0ZXItbWljcm9zZHhjLTI1NmdiLW1iLW1kMjU2c2EtYW0vIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIyZGY1Y2FhYS05Nzk4LTQxMTUtYThmMC0yNjA1MDk4MGNjMTAiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNhbXN1bmcuY29tL3VzL2NvbXB1dGluZy9tZW1vcnktc3RvcmFnZS9tZW1vcnktY2FyZHMvcHJvLXBsdXMtYWRhcHRlci1taWNyb3NkeGMtMjU2Z2ItbWItbWQyNTZzYS1hbS8ifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAayqEugszdckpgBDSt7DmCpBR4pbJt9E7dsGSLmzDkFR&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samsung.com%2Fus%2Fcomputing%2Fmemory-storage%2Fmemory-cards%2Fpro-plus-adapter-microsdxc-256gb-mb-md256sa-am%2F&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Samsung Pro Plus;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Samsung Electronics;elmt:;cpos:45;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">Samsung Pro Plus<\/a>, for example, costs $17 for 128GB, $27 for 256GB, $50 for 512GB and $95 for 1TB as of this writing. And ideally, we\u2019ll see more high-capacity options down the road: Nintendo says the Switch 2 <a data-i13n=\"cpos:46;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/en-americas-support.nintendo.com\/app\/answers\/detail\/a_id\/68425\/~\/microsd-card-and-microsd-express-card-compatibility-with-nintendo-switch%26nbsp%3B2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:technically supports;cpos:46;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">technically supports<\/a> cards up to 2TB, but so far only a couple even go up to 1TB. You should still try to use all 256GB baked into the Switch 2 first, even if it means having to delete a game or two. But if you absolutely need more space right away, the cards above should be fine today.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"what-are-microsd-express-cards\">What are microSD Express cards?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A standard UHS-I microSD card and an SD Express card rest face down on a brown wooden board, showing how the latter includes a second row of pins to improve performance.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/9Q8HB_Wo5ut52DEQMZtUJA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-02\/eccbf260-edbf-11ef-affa-6baa4f7c8a62\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">A microSD Express card like the one on the right has a second row of pins on the back.<\/span><span> (Jeff Dunn for Engadget)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Most microSD cards are based on a standard called Ultra High Speed (UHS), of which there are three versions: UHS-I, UHS-II and UHS-III. The vast majority of cards you may have bought in the past utilize UHS-I. These have one row of pins in the back and a theoretical maximum data transfer speed of 104 megabytes per second (MB\/s). (Though many cards are able to surpass that limit with <a data-i13n=\"cpos:47;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/petapixel.com\/2022\/05\/11\/how-sandisk-made-its-new-sd-cards-faster-than-should-be-possible\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:proprietary tech;cpos:47;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">proprietary tech<\/a> and card readers.) The original Switch has a UHS-I microSD slot, as do most other gaming handhelds like <a data-i13n=\"cpos:48;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/steam-deck-oled-review-its-just-better-180038030.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Valve\u2019s Steam Deck;cpos:48;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Valve\u2019s Steam Deck<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">UHS-II cards add a second row of pins and can reach up to 312 MB\/s. These are pricier and much less common than cards based on UHS-I, but they\u2019re supported by some cameras and higher-power handhelds like the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:49;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/pc\/asus-rog-xbox-ally-x-review-an-extra-life-for-xbox-130050224.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X;cpos:49;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X<\/a>. UHS-III, meanwhile, is twice as fast as UHS-II in theory (624 MB\/s), but no microSD cards have actually used it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">UHS-I cards have held on over the years because they\u2019re cheap, widely supported and fast enough for the things most people need them to do: record 4K video, stash photos and so on. But with the Switch 2, Nintendo <a data-i13n=\"cpos:50;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/whatsnew\/ask-the-developer-vol-16-nintendo-switch-2-part-2\/#:~:text=Kawamoto%3A%20Because%20we,buying%20the%20system.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:needs more;cpos:50;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">needs more<\/a>. The new console is dramatically more powerful, which allows it to run <a data-i13n=\"cpos:51;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/nintendo\/cyberpunk-2077-and-split-fiction-are-third-party-launch-titles-for-nintendo-switch-2-135648661.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:demanding games;cpos:51;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">demanding games<\/a> that may have originally been built for stronger hardware like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or gaming PCs. The device <a data-i13n=\"cpos:52;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/gaming-systems\/switch-2\/tech-specs\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:also uses;cpos:52;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">also uses<\/a> <a data-i13n=\"cpos:53;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Universal_Flash_Storage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:UFS 3.1;cpos:53;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">UFS 3.1<\/a> storage internally, which is much speedier than the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:54;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/MultiMediaCard#eMMC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:eMMC;cpos:54;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">eMMC<\/a> storage used by the original Switch. (A custom <a data-i13n=\"cpos:55;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/digitalfoundry-2025-nintendo-switch-2-final-tech-specs-and-system-reservations-confirmed#:~:text=While%20the%20Switch,for%20the%20CPU.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:file decompression engine;cpos:55;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">file decompression engine<\/a> helps improve load times as well.) So if the Switch 2 is going to accept microSD cards, it needs ones that won\u2019t bring a serious drop-off in performance and can hold up with modern games.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The Nintendo Switch 2 game console is held up with its screen turned off in front of a red wall.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"576\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/5GLO31amAhwN88HLX8dwZQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-05\/564a29e0-3c95-11f0-bbbf-4809ba3abc5f\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\">The Nintendo Switch 2.<\/span><span> (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Hence, SD Express. This standard has <a data-i13n=\"cpos:56;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/press\/thoughtleadership\/five-years-of-sd-express-a-milestone-of-innovation\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:technically been around;cpos:56;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">technically been around<\/a> since 2018 but mostly went nowhere until the Switch 2 came along. It also uses a second row of pins, but it lets microSD cards take advantage of the PCI Express (PCIe)\/NVMe interface, which is the same underlying tech used by <a data-i13n=\"cpos:57;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/computing\/accessories\/best-ssds-140014262.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:modern SSDs;cpos:57;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">modern SSDs<\/a>. As a result, it can produce considerably faster read and write speeds, with a current <a data-i13n=\"cpos:58;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/developers\/sd-standard-overview\/bus-speed-default-speed-high-speed-uhs-sd-express\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:theoretical maximum;cpos:58;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">theoretical maximum<\/a> of 985 MB\/s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">As noted above, real-world performance won\u2019t be quite that fast. Even if it was, the best microSD Express cards would still be much slower than the NVMe SSDs used <a data-i13n=\"cpos:59;pos:1\" href=\"http:\/\/engadget.com\/gaming\/playstation\/best-ssd-for-ps5-130004175.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:by the PS5;cpos:59;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">by the PS5<\/a> and Xbox. (<a data-i13n=\"cpos:60;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.playstation.com\/en-us\/support\/hardware\/ps5-install-m2-ssd\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sony recommends;cpos:60;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Sony recommends<\/a> SSDs with sequential read speeds of at least 5,500 MB\/s.) And they\u2019ll fall well below their peak speeds under sustained loads: SanDisk, for instance, says sustained write speeds for its 128GB Express card can drop as low as 100 MB\/s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">But they\u2019re still a marked improvement over old UHS-I cards, and in theory, they should be quicker than some older SATA-based SSDs when it comes loading game levels, asset streaming, retrieving saves or copying games to external storage. Whereas SanDisk\u2019s microSD Express card can produce sequential read speeds around 900 MB\/s, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:61;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/americas.lexar.com\/product\/lexar-professional-silver-plus-microsdxc-uhs-i-card\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lexar\u2019s Professional Silver Plus;cpos:61;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Lexar\u2019s Professional Silver Plus<\/a> \u2014 the top UHS-I pick in our general microSD card guide \u2014 topped out just over 200 MB\/s, and that\u2019s with a proprietary reader. (On the first Switch, it\u2019d be closer to 100 MB\/s.) Sequential writes and random speeds were three to four times better as well, and sometimes even more depending on the benchmark we used.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">It remains to be seen how well these Express cards will hold up with years of use, and there\u2019s no way to know exactly when their sky-high prices will drop. Non-Switch 2 devices that support microSD Express are still exceedingly rare, and the standard itself isn\u2019t backwards compatible with UHS-II, so you\u2019ll be limited to UHS-I speeds if you want to use your card with another device (unless you buy a <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:62;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=f45797c5-bae4-4ba9-9419-9454e07b099d&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=SanDisk&amp;linkText=pricey+external+reader&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvYWNjZXNzb3JpZXMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmQtcmVhZGVycy9zYW5kaXNrLXByby1yZWFkZXItc2QtZXhwcmVzcy1kdWFsLWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNERFItQTQ1MS1HTlBOTiIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMmRmNWNhYWEtOTc5OC00MTE1LWE4ZjAtMjYwNTA5ODBjYzEwIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Nob3Auc2FuZGlzay5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvYWNjZXNzb3JpZXMvbWVtb3J5LWNhcmQtcmVhZGVycy9zYW5kaXNrLXByby1yZWFkZXItc2QtZXhwcmVzcy1kdWFsLWNhcmQ_c2t1PVNERFItQTQ1MS1HTlBOTiJ9&amp;signature=AQAAAZiW7fgmTUUdao9xu_-GoC-6D5h1nIqgzhoRw5LXMc2V&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.sandisk.com%2Fproducts%2Faccessories%2Fmemory-card-readers%2Fsandisk-pro-reader-sd-express-dual-card%3Fsku%3DSDDR-A451-GNPNN&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:pricey external reader;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:SanDisk;elmt:;cpos:62;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">pricey external reader<\/a>). Still, while the increased costs and limited selection are annoying, the tech itself is worthy of a next-gen Switch.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"how-we-test-microsd-express-cards\">How we test microSD Express cards<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A man holds a Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controller with a number of microSD Express cards placed on top of it.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"611\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Ybbm218YwPQNPdjhSZa1.w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYxMQ--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2025-08\/18799c50-7218-11f0-bf41-eb347f46d362\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"\/><span>Jeff Dunn for Engadget<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">We put our microSD Express cards through a series of tests meant to simulate how people would use each card on the Switch 2 in the real world. We mainly worked with four games: a mid-sized title in <em>Mario Kart World<\/em>, a small one in <em>Fast Fusion<\/em>, a relatively large one in <em>Cyberpunk 2077<\/em> and a hybrid in <em>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild<\/em>, which ran off a Switch 1 cartridge but used a roughly 10GB Switch 2 upgrade pack that was downloaded and installed digitally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">We first timed how long it took to move each game from the system\u2019s internal storage to the card in question, and vice versa. We then timed how long it took to load each game when installed to a given card. After that, we measured how quickly the cards could load certain in-game scenarios: the first Grand Prix race in <em>Mario Kart<\/em>; the first championship race in <em>Fast Fusion<\/em>; fast traveling between the Jig-Jig Street, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:63;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberpunk.fandom.com\/wiki\/Embers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Embers;cpos:63;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Embers<\/a> and Downtown Central areas in <em>Cyberpunk<\/em> and fast traveling between the Kakariko Village, Korok Forest and the Hyrule Castle Town Ruins areas in <em>Zelda<\/em>. (We chose those places in the latter two games because they\u2019re more taxing than other regions.) With <em>Cyberpunk <\/em>and <em>Zelda<\/em>, we also timed how long it took to load up different save files in those locations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">With each test, we completed three to five runs to account for any irregularities and marked down the average time taken between them. We did each test in airplane mode, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, to minimize any performance drain that could arise from background downloads. Between each test, we also spent at least an hour playing the games off each card to ensure there were no significant drop-offs compared to the console\u2019s built-in storage.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color\" data-jump-link-target=\"\" id=\"recent-updates\">Recent updates<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>December 2025<\/strong>: We\u2019ve tested Samsung\u2019s P9 Express card, though our general shopping advice for this market remains the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>November 2025<\/strong>: We\u2019ve tested the 256GB version of Walmart\u2019s Onn microSD Express card and edited our guide accordingly. It\u2019s generally slower than most of the other options we\u2019ve tried, especially when moving games to and from system storage, and in synthetic benchmark tests on a PC. But the performance drop-off isn\u2019t particularly noticeable in actual Switch 2 games, so if you see it in stock and just want to pay as little as possible, it\u2019s a decent buy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\"><strong>September 2025:<\/strong> We\u2019ve taken another pass through this guide to confirm our advice is still accurate. We\u2019ve also noted a new 512GB version of PNY\u2019s microSD Express card and confirmed that a \u201c<a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Walmart;elmt:;cpos:64;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=3719d8d4-5edd-4817-998a-91f3229e7323&amp;itemId=walmart_transaction_16003402425&amp;siteId=us-engadget&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=2df5caaa-9798-4115-a8f0-26050980cc10&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Walmart&amp;linkText=SanDisk+GamePlay&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YWxtYXJ0LmNvbS9pcC9TYW5EaXNrLTUxMkdCLUdhbWVQTEFZLW1pY3JvU0QtRXhwcmVzcy1DYXJkLzE2MDAzNDAyNDI1IiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiIyZGY1Y2FhYS05Nzk4LTQxMTUtYThmMC0yNjA1MDk4MGNjMTAiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LndhbG1hcnQuY29tL2lwL1NhbkRpc2stNTEyR0ItR2FtZVBMQVktbWljcm9TRC1FeHByZXNzLUNhcmQvMTYwMDM0MDI0MjUifQ&amp;signature=AQAAAZavPbTb8kqr5RbjCx-bsM6y2MeRL7EbrR2oF7vUmQa6&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FSanDisk-512GB-GamePLAY-microSD-Express-Card%2F16003402425&amp;spaceId=1197802876\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:SanDisk GamePlay;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Walmart;elmt:;cpos:64;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">SanDisk GamePlay<\/a>\u201d Express card sold at Walmart has the same performance as the standard SanDisk model we recommend above, just with a different name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/nintendo\/best-microsd-cards-for-nintendo-switch-2-160052947.html?src=rss\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to expand the storage of your Nintendo Switch 2, you\u2019ll need a microSD Express card. This is not the same as the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gadget"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}