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The Nintendo Switch 2 is here! If you were able to grab one, keep in mind that it only has 256GB of storage built-in. If you want to load up on games without having to deal with uninstalling and reinstalling over and over, you’re going to want to expand that storage. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, the new console requires a MicroSD Express card – which are faster, but more expensive than other UHS-based SD cards.
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MicroSD Express cards have been around for a while, but there are only a few on the market right now as creative professionals haven’t really found much of a use for them. However, with the Switch 2 launch, there’s been a deluge of Express cards to fill that gap.
My colleagues and I are in the process of testing these cards, but if we were to recommend any based on experience, these are the MicroSD Express cards – an essential Switch 2 accessory – we’d say to buy right now. These come from reputable manufacturers that have a track record of making excellent storage expansion cards. We’ll be updating this as we play around with the Switch 2 and SD cards.
Why MicroSD Express?
Unlike many devices, the Nintendo Switch 2 is mandating a MicroSD Express card for storage expansion. Nintendo hasn’t really explained its reasoning behind the decision, but it’s not hard to see why it might want to require faster storage.
For one, the flash storage built into the system is the same kind of UFS flash that powers most smartphones. This storage is much faster than the eMMC drive in the original Switch, and it’s likely Nintendo wanted its developers to be able to count on that kind of storage speed, no matter if the game is being stored internally or on an expansion card.
The only thing you can use a regular old MicroSD card for is loading screenshots and videos you took on your first-gen Switch. That means unlike something like the PS5, which allows you to store last-generation games on slower external drives, Nintendo isn’t allowing for any wiggle room here. If you want to expand the Nintendo Switch 2 storage, you’re going to need a MicroSD Express card.
1. Lexar Play Pro
The Best MicroSD Express Card
The Lexar Play Pro is the fastest and most capacious card available. Supporting read times up to 900MB/s and storage space up to 1TB, this is the best MicroSD Express card out there right now. Unfortunately, with the increased demand that the Switch 2 has brought, it’s been tough to find in stock.
This will likely change in the future as stock normalizes and people slow down on excitedly buying any accessory related to the Nintendo Switch 2. If you do want the best SD card for your Switch though, it’s worth keeping your eye on the Lexar Play Pro, especially the 1TB version, and scooping it up if you see it available. As for right now, your best bet is to order it through B&H, which has it on backorder until July.
2. SanDisk MicroSD Express
Best 256GB MicroSD Express Card
I have so many SanDisk SD cards lying around, and that shouldn’t be super surprising. Over the years, SanDisk has become one of the most prolific SD card manufacturers, and now it has a MicroSD Express card. Unlike the Lexar version, SanDisk doesn’t have a fancy name for its card, and it also only goes up to 256GB, which would simply mirror the internal storage of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Still, doubling your storage isn’t a bad deal, especially if you can find this card at a lower price. It’s also not quite as fast as the Lexar Play Pro, coming in with a read speed of up to 880MB/s. That’s a minor enough disparity that you’re not going to notice any difference when you’re loading up Mario Kart World, but 20MB/s is still 20MB/s.
3. Samsung MicroSD Express for Switch 2
The Official Option We Know Very Little About
Samsung’s MicroSD Express card is the one that’s being sold directly by Nintendo, which definitely gives it some weight. Luckily, since it came out back in May, Samsung has released its actual speeds and feeds. This MicroSD card gets 800MB/s of read speeds, which doesn’t make it the fastest SD card here, but it’ll still load games plenty fast. Plus, it has Mario on the retail packaging, so that’s a bonus, right?
The card does come with a 3-year warranty, but Samsung only offers it in a 256GB size. That basically doubles the initial storage of the Switch 2, but it would still be nice to see a 512GB or 1TB option for true game archival – especially as it’s the official option.
At the end of the day, though, it being the “official” MicroSD Express card for the Switch 2 doesn’t mean much. It might have received Nintendo’s seal of approval, but this MicroSD card isn’t going to be much different than any other card on this list, at least beyond the red paint job.
4. PNY MicroSD Express 128GB
Best Budget MicroSD Express Card For Switch 2
If you ask me, PNY is one of the most underrated brands for memory products. The company doesn’t get a lot of attention, but whether it’s flash drives or SD cards, its products have always been extremely reliable for me. And, well, luckily the company has finally launched a MicroSD Express card. The downside is that it’s limited to 128GB right now.
For reference, the Nintendo Switch itself has 256GB of storage – which is criminally low for a new device in 2025, but that’s beside the point. That means this PNY MicroSD Express card only increases your potential game library by about 50%. That’s not nothing, but this isn’t exatly the card you get if you want a little archive of Switch 2 games.
However, while this MicroSD Express card isn’t the most capacious option out there, it is much more affordable than the competition. At the time of writing, this PNY memory card is only $44 on Amazon. That’s expensive for a MicroSD Card, sure, but it’s downright affordable for a MicroSD Express card. At least until prices start to come down, this is going to be the memory card to get if you just need to supplement your Switch 2 storage for as cheap as possible, while still getting a reliable product.
MicroSD Express FAQ
How fast is MicroSD Express?
SD Express is theoretically much faster than older SD cards, and that largely comes down to how it interfaces with the device. Rather than connecting to a bespoke SD card interface, SD Express uses PCI Express 3.1, which is what SSDs use on PC.
Don’t go expecting a MicroSD Express card to be as fast as the NVMe SSDs in handheld gaming PCs, though. While the full-sized SD Express cards can come close, with read speeds up to 3,940MB/s, the MicroSD Express cards can only hit a maximum of 985MB/s. Still, that’s much faster than the older MicroSD cards used by the original Nintendo Switch.
How long will a MicroSD Express card last?
Just like any SD card, MicroSD Express cards aren’t meant to be used for long-term data storage, and so they have a shelf life. How long they’ll last depends largely on the environment it’s being used in, and whether or not you’re dropping it. I wouldn’t expect a MicroSD Express card to last more than 5-10 years before it needs to be replaced, so be sure to keep anything important backed up.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
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