Nintendo recently unveiled a wealth of new information about the highly anticipated Switch 2 during a comprehensive 60-minute Nintendo Direct. The presentation not only confirmed the console's price at $449.99 and its release date of June 5, 2025, but also introduced a lineup of exciting new games. A significant revelation was that the Switch 2 will exclusively support microSD Express Cards for storage expansion, meaning that you won't be able to use your existing storage cards with the new console. To prepare, consider purchasing microSD Express cards like the SanDisk models currently available on Amazon, which include a 128GB option for $44.99 and a 256GB option for $59.99.

Switch 2 Compatible### SanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card

1$64.99 save 8%$59.99 at AmazonSanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card - $59.99 (was $64.99)SanDisk 128GB microSD Express Card - $44.99 (was $49.99)

The Switch 2 comes equipped with 256GB of internal storage, a substantial improvement over the original Switch's 32GB. This might mean you won't need to expand your storage immediately. However, with the potential for larger game sizes on the Switch 2, such as the upgraded version of Tears of the Kingdom, which was 16GB on the original console, and new titles like Mario Kart World, you might find yourself needing extra space sooner than you think.

While specific file sizes for Switch 2 games are still under wraps, it's reasonable to expect them to be significantly larger. This shift to microSD Express cards, which only the Switch 2 will support, differs from the original Switch's compatibility with standard microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC cards.

Nintendo's decision to use microSD Express cards for the Switch 2 is a strategic move towards leveraging the latest in portable storage technology. Traditional microSD cards cap out at 104 MB/s via the UHS-I interface, but microSD Express cards can achieve speeds up to 985 MB/s using PCIe and NVMe technology. This significant speed boost is why the Switch 2 won't support regular microSD cards, ensuring that the system can handle larger, more demanding games without performance issues.

However, there is a notable downside: microSD Express cards are more expensive. For instance, a 128GB SD card for the original Switch might cost you around $10-15, whereas the same storage capacity in an Express card is approximately $45. Additionally, microSD Express cards are less widely available, with only a few brands like SanDisk and Samsung producing them. While this shift to microSD Express is about enhancing speed and future-proofing the console, it does mean higher costs for expandable storage.

If you're planning to purchase a Switch 2, be prepared to budget for these faster, yet pricier, memory cards. For a comprehensive overview of all the announcements from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, you can click here.