Nintendo Switch 2 owners who haven't picked up a microSD Express Card still have a chance to double their console's storage capacity for cheap. As of December 31, Amazon's incredible deal on the SanDisk P9 256GB microSD Express is still available. Normally $55, the SanDisk P9 256GB is on sale for only $33. This deal has been available for about two weeks, so it probably won't be active for much longer. The $33 price is an all-time low for a microSD Express Card from any brand. The 512GB edition, unfortunately, is selling for its full $100 price.
Amazon is also still selling the Lexar Play Pro 1TB microSD Express, the most popular 1TB card on the market, for $186 (was $220). For a 512GB card from Amazon, the Lexar Play Pro and Samsung P9 are your best bets at $100. Take a deeper dive into the world of microSD Express Cards for Nintendo Switch 2 below.
Best microSD Express Cards at Amazon
The only officially licensed microSD Express is Samsung's Super Mario-themed 256GB model for $59 (was $60). Samsung launched the P9 microSD Express in November, and while it isn't officially licensed by Nintendo, you won't notice a difference between the two–and you can save a bunch of cash at the moment.
Below, we've listed every microSD Express Card from a reputable brand we could find on Amazon–though we excluded cards with prices that are substantially higher than average. The Switch 2 is the first major consumer device to use the ultra-fast storage format, so the market is understandably limited. That said, the number of options has doubled multiple times over since Nintendo announced the Switch 2 requires microSD Express to expand storage
Best microSD Express Cards at Walmart
Walmart has a smaller selection, but it has three exclusive microSD Express Cards that you should know about, too. The retailer's in-house tech brand usually offers the most affordable 256GB and 512GB cards. The Onn 512GB microSD Express is currently going for $84.77, while the 256GB model is only $46.77. With the Samsung P9 256GB and Silicon Power 512GB deals, Onn cards are a bit pricier as of December 15. It's also worth noting that the Walmart-exclusive SanDisk GamePlay 512GB microSD Express is now only $2 cheaper than the regular model that's sold at all retailers (including Walmart).
Nintendo Switch 2 storage space can disappear fast
The Nintendo Switch 2 has 256GB of onboard storage. On the surface, this is a big leap forward, since it's four times larger than the Switch OLED (64GB) and eight times larger than the original Switch and Switch Lite (32GB). But the Switch 2's ability to run more graphically intensive games also means larger file sizes. For context, here are file sizes for some Switch 2 games published by Nintendo: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (43.5GB), Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (27,7GB), Kirby Air Riders (21.8GB), Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (20.1GB), Mario Kart World (21.9GB), Pokemon Legends: Z-A (11.3GB), Donkey Kong Bananza (8.9GB), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (10.8GB).
You can save your storage space for those first-party games by grabbing physical editions, because all of the titles listed above have the full data file on the card. That's been the case for every Nintendo-published game on Switch 2 so far, but Pokemon Pokopia will be a Game-Key Card with a 10GB download. It's too early to know if Pokopia will be anomaly for Nintendo, or if it's the beginning of a trend. For third-party titles, outside of rare exceptions like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Switch 2 physical editions come with Game-Key Cards. These are low-capacity cards that essentially serve as unlock keys to download the game from the eShop. So if you buy the physical edition of Madden NFL 26, you'll still need to download the the game's 57.1GB file from the eShop. Other sports games are even larger: NBA 2K26 is 69.7GB and EA Sports FC 26 is 71.6GB. Outside of sports: Persona 3 Reload is 21.7GB, and Star Wars Outlaws is 19.4GB.
Looking ahead: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is currently expected to have an 87.9GB download on Switch 2, so that game alone will consume an enormous chunk of storage space when it launches January 22. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection and Resident Evil Requiem are both estimated at just under 30GB.
The prevalence of Game-Key Cards and larger file sizes for AAA games in general will likely cause many Switch 2 owners to run out of storage space even faster than they did on the original Switch.
microSD Express: What is it?
The Express format is a recent advancement in the semiconductor industry that hasn't been widely adopted by manufacturers just yet. If you're wondering why Express cards seem so expensive compared to the UHS-I cards you used on the original Switch console and most devices, it all comes down to speeds. For example, the SanDisk Ultra 512GB microSD Card is $40 and reaches 150MB/s read speeds, while the SanDisk 512GB Express Card is $100 with 880MB/s read speeds. The Express costs 2.5 times the price of the Ultra, but it's nearly six times faster. The prices make more sense when you consider this context. These new cards are markedly faster than SATA SSDs. You can take a closer look at many of the microSD Express Cards from the lists in the gallery below.
$59
- Read: 800MB/s
- Write: 400MB/s
Samsung's officially licensed model has a Mario red color scheme and M logo. Unsurprisingly, it's by far the most popular microSD Express Card for Switch 2. Samsung and SanDisk are widely considered the top brands for microSD cards. Since SanDisk's Nintendo-licensed card isn't available yet, Samsung is the only “official” option.
At $60, the Samsung microSD Express is far more reasonably priced than the pricey Nintendo-themed SanDisk cards for original Switch.
We've included read/write speeds for each card on this list. Read speeds range between 800-900MB/s, but it's highly unlikely you'd ever notice a difference between Samsung's 800MB/s read speed and Lexar's 900MB/s speed.
The Nintendo-licensed Samsung card has one of the slowest write speeds on this list. At face value, this sounds bad, but really it signifies what's important and what isn't. If the officially licensed card writes 400MB/s, that likely means the Switch 2 doesn't benefit from higher speeds.
256GB / 512GB
- Read: 800MB/s
- Write: 330MB/s
Samsung's P9 microSD Express Card is available in 256GB and 512GB capacities. The 512GB model normally retails for $100, which is less than many competitors. The 256GB edition is normally $5 less than Samsung's officially licensed card for Switch 2. The P9 matches the official card's 800MB/s read speed, but the max write speed is 330MB/s, making it a bit slower than the Mario-themed card.
1TB / 512GB / 256GB
- Read: 900MB/s
- Write: 600MB/s
The Lexar Play Pro is the most popular and best-performing 1TB card on the market. It regularly sells for $200-$220. Unlike most cards in this roundup, the Play Pro was available before the Switch 2 console launch. If you want to add 1TB to your Switch 2, the Lexar Play Pro is the go-to option.
512GB / 256GB – Walmart Exclusive
- Read: 800MB/s
- Write: 600MB/s
The Walmart-owned tech brand Onn is known for its budget prices, and that remains true with its microSD Express Cards. It was especially true the first few months after the Switch 2's launch, as Walmart sold the 256GB card for $35.77 and the 512GB model for $65.77.
The prices increased a few months ago, but $46.77 is still the lowest MSRP in the 256GB category. Even with a $19 price hike to $84.77, the 512GB Onn card is often cheaper than the competition.
Anecdotally, I've been using the 512GB model since launch day and haven't experienced any issues.
Walmart says the cards are “water, shock, temperature, and magnet proof.” Your purchase includes a one-year limited warranty.
$98 | Walmart Exclusive
- Read: 880MB/s
- Write: 650MB/s
- Sustained Write: 220MB/s
In addition to offering microSD Express Cards from its own tech brand, Walmart is the only retailer selling the SanDisk Gameplay microSD Express. If you bought one of these 512GB cards from Walmart while they were being sold for $78, you secured quite the deal.
The SanDisk Gameplay is identical to SanDisk's regular microSD Express from a technical and performance perspective. They were anything but identical when it came to price. The SanDisk Gameplay's original $78 price was $42 lower than the SanDisk 512GB microSD Express at one point.
But just like it did with its Onn-branded cards, Walmart raised the price to $98 a few months after launch. In November, SanDisk lowered the price of the regular cards, effectively eliminating the difference between the two.
512GB / 256GB / 128GB
- 128GB
- Read: 880MB/s
- Write: 480MB/s
- Sustained Write: 100MB/s
- 256GB
- Read: 880MB/s
- Write: 650MB/s
- Sustained Write: 210MB/s
- 512GB
- Read: 880MB/s
- Write: 650MB/s
- Sustained Write: 220MB/s
SanDisk's microSD Express Card is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models. All three capacities offer 880MB/s read speed, but, as shown above, write and sustained write speeds are markedly different when moving from 128GB to 256GB. The 512GB edition is benchmarked for slightly faster sustained write speeds.
The price difference between the SanDisk GamePlay and the regular model that's sold at Amazon and other major retailers is now only a few bucks. After selling for $120 for months, Amazon's store page now says the list price is $105.
The 256GB category is crowded with good choices to strongly recommend paying full price for it–especially when the officially licensed Samsung card exists. The 128GB model retails for $60, and there's no reason to pay more for less storage.
SanDisk will be releasing a Nintendo-licensed microSD Express Card with a Mario red color scheme and logo, but a release date still hasn't been revealed. We do know that the licensed edition is the same card with a different look–just like the SanDisk Gameplay situation.
1TB / 512GB / 256GB / 128GB
- Read: 800MB/s
- Write: 500MB/s
TeamGroup is a well-regarded budget manufacturer of microSD cards. The Apex is TeamGroup's first card with Express tech. TeamGroup's prices are often noticeably lower than competitors, but often times that hasn't been the case for the Apex.
512GB / 256GB / 128GB
- Read: 890MB/s
- Write: 550MB/s
Popular budget tech brand PNY has 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB microSD Express Cards. Prices for these cards tend to fluctuate frequently.
1TB / 512GB / 256GB – Best Buy Exclusive | Black Friday Deal
- Read: 880MB/s
- Write: 650MB/s
Available exclusively at Best Buy, the NEXT microSD Express only has a few customer reviews so far, but the specs are impressive, and the company's other budget-friendly gaming accessories are typically pretty good.
It'd be easy to compare NEXT to the Walmart-owned Onn brand, but while the company does maintain an exclusive retail partnership with Best Buy, NEXT is independently owned.
NEXT microSD Express is rated at 880MB/s read speed and 650MB/s write. The product description notes that the card is “water, shock, temperature, and magnet proof.”
The 256GB and 512GB cards have the same retail prices as the Samsung P9. The read/write speeds are faster than the P9, but as mentioned, it's unlikely you'd notice a difference if the card is being used with the Switch 2.
The $190 MSRP for the 1TB model matches the price of the GameStop-branded edition (highlighted below). If you're spending that much on a storage upgrade, it makes more sense to go with an established brand like Lexar.
256GB / 512GB / 1TB
- Read: 880MB/s
- Write: 700MB/s
Silicon Power has been a popular budget brand for microSD cards for Switch for years, and now it has joined the Switch 2 storage market with 512GB and 1TB microSD Express Cards. Unfortunately, Silicon Power has repeatedly altered the list price for these cards over the past few weeks. To make the situation even more confusing, you can usually find a coupon deal on the listings, but since it's a fixed percentage off instead of a set dollar amount, the prices are even more volatile.
1TB / 512GB / 256GB
- Read: 800MB/s
- Write: 700MB/s
GameStop sells branded microSD Express Cards, too. It's unknown which manufacturer makes the card, but customer reviews are positive.
Similar to the NEXT brand at Best Buy, it doesn't make much sense to get the 256GB or 512GB model when you can get one from a known brand for the same price or less.
As mentioned above, GameStop's 1TB card is tied for the lowest MSRP we've seen. Still, if you're going to spend this much cash on a microSD Express, snagging the Lexar Play Pro 1TB seems like the better move–unless you get a great deal on the GameStop edition.
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