Best Micro SD Express cards for Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 has heralded the arrival of an all new kind of memory card along with it, with the older MicroSD card used by the original Switch being replaced by the much faster MicroSD Express standard. We've rounded up the best options available based on our testing.

The best options we're seeing at the moment are 512GB options - a SanDisk MicroSD Express card comes at just over £90 from Amazon UK, while the Lexar Play Pro is a shade over $100 at Amazon USA. We've got a lot more in the way of recommendations below for a whole range of sizes.

What is MicroSD Express?

Before going any further though, it's worth explaining what MicroSD Express is, and why it's vital for Switch 2. Most importantly, these cards are nearly four times faster than regular old MicroSD cards, with speeds of up to nearly 900MB/s. That means that these cards are actually faster than many 2.5-inch SSDs found in desktop gaming PCs thanks to their use of NVMe tech, resulting in a big speed-up when it comes to loading games and transferring data.

The Switch 2 also benefits from a virtual 8x increase in its internal storage, from 32GB to 256GB. Thanks to the MicroSD Express slot, you'll be able to slide in more storage at a moment's notice, multiplying your available space by several times.

We've already seen capacities for these cards in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB forms from a couple of manufacturers, so you can get the card that suits your needs for your own Switch 2 habits. Here are our picks of the litter thus far.

Best Switch 2 MicroSD Express cards UK

At the moment, we're seeing a handful of MicroSD Express cards in the UK from SanDisk and Lexar, with capacities from 128GB up to 1TB - the heady heights of 1.5TB and 2TB options for mega-bulk storage aren't with us just yet.

As it stands, 512GB cards are the best value options, with 256GB and 1TB cards just a shade behind in terms of price per gigabyte. Meanwhile, 128GB cards are best avoided as you're not getting much of a discount at all versus the 256GB models.

Best Switch 2 MicroSD Express cards USA

At the moment, we're seeing a similar handful of MicroSD Express cards in the USA from SanDisk Lexar, as well as PNY and Samsung, with capacities from 128GB up to 1TB - the heady heights of 1.5TB and 2TB options for mega-bulk storage aren't with us just yet.

As it stands, 512GB and 1TB models offer the best bang for your buck, with 256GB sizes a touch behind. 128GB cards should be avoided, given that you're typically spending only $15 more for double the storage space.

According to Nintendo themselves, the Switch 2 will support cards up to 2TB in size, the same as the original Switch. We're yet to see cards this large though in the MicroSD Express space - it may be some time, considering we've only just got them for more 'standard' MicroSD cards. They also say you'll need a system update over the internet the first time you use a MicroSD Express card with the console.

We're still waiting on details concerning any minimum speed requirements on these cards, but as and when we get it, it'll be right here. What we can be sure of at the moment is that you'll be welcome for the extra space, both internal and external, given the size of some of these games. For instance, Cyberpunk 2077, a Switch 2 launch title, will take up 64GB of space on the console. Nintendo's launch title game sizes are smaller, with the largest being Mario Kart World at 23.4GB. Interestingly, the Switch 2 cartridges are likely to be physical game keys of sorts, with most of the data for games being downloadable from the internet.

We've seen cards from Lexar and SanDisk make their way to market first, with those officially-licenced Nintendo Samsung and SanDisk variants available, too. PNY has also waded in with cards recently, although stock of these is scant in the USA, while there is also Adata cards that rank among the best Switch 2 accessories we've rounded up.

As well as offering MicroSD Express cards as a requirement, the Switch 2 is a big upgrade over its predecessor with a larger 7.9-inch 1080p screen with up to 120fps support, HDR in some games and support for up to 4K resolution displays when docked - oddly though, its battery life is quoted to be worse than its predecessor. You can read everything we've learnt about the Switch 2 in our dedicated Direct article, and what Rich and Tom made of the Switch 2 with their hands-on article, as well as our full hardware review..

I think that's about it for now, but if you spot any other details concerning these MicroSD Express cards for Nintendo Switch 2, feel free to reach out to us on @egtechdeals on X or @egtechdeals.bsky.social on Bluesky.