Nintendo Switch 2 Requires $120 microSD Express Cards as 1TB Options Climb to $350
Updated
Updated · Nintendo Everything · May 17
Nintendo Switch 2 Requires $120 microSD Express Cards as 1TB Options Climb to $350
13 articles · Updated · Nintendo Everything · May 17
$120 SanDisk 512GB microSD Express cards are the recommended value pick for Switch 2 owners, while reliable 1TB options are scarce and far pricier.
Nintendo's new console only supports microSD Express storage, a newer, faster format with limited market supply that the report says is needed to sustain game performance and faster data loading.
$350 Lexar 1TB cards have jumped from about $200 in March 2025, with the report blaming low production volumes and broader memory demand tied to AI data centers.
15GB is the suggested cutoff for buying games physically to save space, since large Switch 2 titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 can consume 60.6GB and fill even 1TB cards quickly.
With digital games now cheaper, is buying physical cartridges to save on expensive Switch 2 storage still the smarter choice?
As the AI industry consumes memory chips, is the era of affordable next-generation gaming hardware coming to an end?