Like the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 comes with its own internal storage and can be expanded with a microSD card—but it can’t be just any microSD card. Make sure you get the right microSD Express card by picking one of the options below.
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Best Budget
SanDisk 128GB microSD Express
The SanDisk 128GB microSD Express Card is perfect if you’re on a budget or primarily buy physical games. Its transfer speeds can reach 880MB/s, which is up to four times faster than the UHS-I cards used in the original Switch.
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Fastest mircoSD Express
Lexar 512GB Play PRO microSD Express
With 512GB of storage, the Lexar 512GB Play PRO and 900MB/s read speed, it’s both a high-capacity card with exceptional performance. It writes at 600MB/s, too, ensuring faster game installation from the get-go.
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Best 1TB microSD Express
Lexar 1TB Play PRO microSD Express
The Lexar 1TB Play PRO microSD Express Card benefits from the same performance as its 512GB counterpart, but with a substantial amount of space. Just one of these cards is nearly four times the Switch 2’s internal storage.
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Best High-Capacity microSD Express
GameStop 1TB Express microSD Card
The GameStop 1TB Express microSD Card is not only fast (800MB/s read speeds), you get a microSD adapter, just in case you want to move data, and you get a better deal with a Pro subscription.
How to Pick a microSD Card For Your Nintendo Switch 2
Given the original Switch’s data transfer rates, you had to be particular about what kind of microSD card you got. Pick a microSD card with a data transfer rate faster than the Switch could handle, and you’d be wasting performance. Luckily, that’s not the case with the Nintendo Switch 2 because it can now use microSD Express cards.
The big difference here is that microSD Express cards are dramatically faster than its cousin, meaning the Switch 2 can now transfer data much faster. However, there’s a catch.
Picking the right microSD card for the Nintendo Switch 2 is more about the card’s speed—the console is explicitly limited to microSD Express cards, and a normal microSD card (which is probably the card you’re using in your current Switch) can only store screenshots and clips. It cannot store games.
Aside from compatibility, speed should still be a factor, and a good rule of thumb is that the faster the card is, the better. Nintendo hasn’t given us much to go off of as far as maximum data transfer speeds for the Switch 2 are concerned, but the microSD Express technology itself has a ceiling of 985 MB/s. For comparison, the original Switch maxed out at 95MB/s. All we know right now is that the Switch 2 will be faster.
Next, you want to consider storage size, and the Switch 2 has a more generous 256 GB. How much storage do you need? It depends on your budget and your spending habits. Do you primarily buy physical copies of Switch and Switch 2 games or digital? If it’s the former, you can opt for a smaller microSD Express card and save yourself money in the process. If it’s the latter, you’ll need more to make room for all your digital games.
