Nintendo Switch 2 owners turn to microSD Express cards to handle massive game installs

The Nintendo Switch 2 includes 256GB of internal storage, leaving roughly ~249GB usable after accounting for system software. That space fills quickly under the weight of major releases like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade at 90.4GB, Assassin's Creed Shadows at 69GB, and Resident Evil Requiem at nearly 29GB. Digital titles, updates, and Game-Key Cards that require full downloads make expandable memory vital for many players. [1]

Standard microSD cards from the original console will not run or store Switch 2 games; the system requires a microSD Express card, which carries the "Express" label or "EX" logo. Users can only employ older cards to transfer existing screenshots and video clips. Furthermore, game save data must remain on internal system memory, and Nintendo recommends against frequently swapping multiple cards because software across separate cards cannot be merged later. [1]

Card pricing has risen during an ongoing RAM shortage, with 256GB models running around $60 and 1TB versions reaching several hundred dollars. For players seeking mid-tier upgrades, models like Samsung's 512GB P9 microSD Express card offer sequential read speeds up to 800 MB/s to minimize performance drops compared to internal memory, recently discounting from $149.99 to $99.99. [1][2]