When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, it made it clear that players will need microSD Express cards to boost the console’s memory. Not long after this announcement, retailers both online and in physical stores completely ran out of stock. According to staff at Hermitage Akihabara in Japan, sales soared to over 337 cards an hour. This rush caught many by surprise, especially since microSD Express cards are significantly pricier than their regular microSD counterparts.
### Premium Price for Premium Performance
Take the basic Lexar 1TB Play microSD card, normally priced at $129.99 on Amazon but available for $69.99 at this moment. Its read speed peaks at 160 MB/s while its write speed hits 100 MB/s. Not bad, but it can’t compare to the internal storage speed. In contrast, the microSD Express variant from Lexar boasts jaw-dropping speeds of 900 MB/s for reading and 600 MB/s for writing – that’s over five times faster than the previous version. However, this performance comes at a premium – the Lexar 1TB Play Pro microSD Express card is listed at $199.99 on Amazon, with a current sale price of $172.63, still more than double the cost of the regular one.
### Scalpers Not to Blame
Even with the demanded upgrade hitting players’ pockets hard, the microSD Express cards flew off the shelves post-announcement. Interestingly, this phenomenon wasn’t driven by scalpers, with reports indicating that 80% of the purchasers bought just one card, and no single buyer acquired more than three. This pattern suggests genuine Nintendo fans are stocking up for the Switch 2 rather than reselling at a premium.
Though the microSD Express standard debuted in 2019, it hasn’t been widely embraced, likely due to costs far exceeding those of regular microSD cards (for portable storage needs) or SSDs (for larger capacity requirements). While some consoles allow users to expand internal memory by swapping out SSDs, this process is less user-friendly, requiring users to remove the backplate and fiddle with configurations.
Nintendo, known for discouraging hardware modifications on its systems, presents microSD Express cards as the most straightforward way to augment the Switch 2’s storage, matching internal speeds. Considering the lineup of new AAA games coming to the console, its 256 GB of built-in storage could quickly become insufficient. Having ample room for all your favorite Switch 2 games whenever you want them is a compelling reason to consider this upgrade.
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