From a tech perspective, the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be a much more capable console than the current Switch. According to Nvidia, the system will apparently be 10x more powerful than its predecessor, and it’ll be able to support 4K resolution in addition to frame rates of up to 120 FPS. Nintendo’s upcoming console will also have the ability to run games that the original Switch couldn’t ever dream of supporting, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and even the upcoming Borderlands 4. Like their PS5 and Xbox Series X/S counterparts, these titles are going to take up a lot of space on the Switch 2‘s hard drive; Cyberpunk 2077, in particular, is going to require 64GB of storage.
To address this issue, the Switch 2 will come with a far larger storage capacity than the first Switch. Nintendo confirmed during the recent Switch 2 Direct that the system will contain 256GB of internal storage, a drastic increase over the measly 32GB hard drive of the current Switch. As great as this is, however, even this storage space won’t be enough for everyone. Some modern video games are notorious for their comically large file sizes and, although most of Nintendo’s first-party Switch 2 titles seem to take up little space, some players will likely run out of storage on their consoles rather quickly. Players will luckily be able to increase the storage space of their Switch 2 systems with a new type of hardware.
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The Nintendo Switch 2 Supports microSD Express Cards
Like the original Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 has a microSD card slot on its back. If players run out of space on the console, they can purchase SD cards to store digital games on them. The Nintendo Switch 2 supports SD cards with up to 2TB of storage, which should be more than enough to satisfy even the most hardcore of gamers. Unfortunately, though, there is one major difference between the first and second Switch when it comes to this feature: the Switch 2 only supports microSD Express cards.
MicroSD Express Cards are Faster, Better Variants of the Traditional microSD Card, But They’re More Expensive
The microSD Express card was introduced in 2019 and, as its name suggests, it is a faster, more optimized variant of the traditional microSD card. These cards haven’t been widely adopted by consumers like the original SD card was, but they are perfect for gaming-related purposes, since they have significantly lower file transfer speeds and are great at reading and writing data. The original Switch supported microSD Express cards, but it wasn’t able to take advantage of their unique functions. Instead, they operated exactly like all the other SD cards on the market. Thanks to the Switch 2, however, players will finally be able to experience the benefits of this new microSD format on a Nintendo system.
Sadly, there is one major catch to the Switch 2’s microSD Express cards: they are considerably more expensive than the microSD cards that can be used on the current Switch. On Amazon, a standard 256GB SanDisk microSD card can set customers back around $28. Meanwhile, a SanDisk microSD Express card with an equivalent file size costs nearly double that amount, at roughly $50. Much like most of the Switch 2’s other hardware accessories, this new storage format is pricey.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Does Not Support Traditional microSD Cards
Players who want to use regular microSD cards on the Nintendo Switch 2 will be out of luck because, even though the console can technically read this SD card format, it cannot run games on them like the original Switch can. Instead, it can only load screenshots and videos that were captured on a Nintendo Switch. This will likely be a big issue for many current Switch owners, as those who have stored their digital game libraries on microSD cards will essentially have to re-download all of their titles just to play them again on the Switch 2. It’s nice that Nintendo is adopting more modern technology with its upcoming console, but this compatibility issue is going to hit players’ wallets hard.
- Brand
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Nintendo
- Operating System
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Proprietary
- Storage
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256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
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1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- App Store
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Nintendo eShop
- Wi-Fi
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Yes