Best microSD Express Card for Switch 2: SanDisk vs Samsung
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If you’re shopping for Switch 2 storage, here’s the short version: regular microSD cards do not work for game storage anymore. Nintendo confirmed the Switch 2 only accepts microSD Express cards, up to 2TB in size. A regular, non-Express microSD card will still let you copy screenshots and videos off the console, but it cannot store or run games.
The Switch 2 comes with 256GB built in. That sounds like a lot until you’ve got a couple of big modern games installed and a kid who wants three more.
The pick for most people: Samsung P9 Express, 256GB. The pick for power users: SanDisk microSD Express, 256GB.
The Picks
- Samsung P9 Express: for anyone who just wants a card that works and doesn’t want to think about it again.
- SanDisk microSD Express: for anyone who downloads, deletes, and re-downloads games a lot, or moves big files around often.
Why microSD Express matters here
This is the part a lot of people miss. The old style of microSD card, the kind that worked fine in the original Switch, physically cannot run Switch 2 games. Nintendo built the Switch 2 around the newer, faster microSD Express standard instead.
That means when you’re shopping, the label matters more than the brand. Any card that just says “microSD” without “Express” is the wrong purchase for game storage, no matter how fast or well reviewed it is for other uses.
SanDisk microSD Express, 256GB
This is the higher-performance option of the two.
SanDisk rates this card up to 880MB/s read and 650MB/s write, with a sustained write speed around 210MB/s. Those are SanDisk’s own published numbers, but the sustained write figure is the one that matters most day to day. It’s the speed you actually get once the card settles into writing a large file, like a freshly downloaded game.
At 256GB, this card doubles the Switch 2’s built in storage. If you need more room than that, larger capacities exist up to the console’s 2TB limit, though we’re not naming specific larger cards here.
Who should buy this one: anyone who regularly downloads big games, deletes them to make room, then redownloads them later. Anyone who copies games between a Switch 2 and another device. Anyone who just wants the fastest card available and doesn’t mind paying for the edge.
Samsung P9 Express, 256GB
This is the “just works” option, and it earned that reputation from independent testing, not just marketing.
Samsung rates this card up to 800MB/s read. In December 2025, The SSD Review tested it and gave it a Top Value award. They found its actual game load times competitive with faster-rated cards, and measured its sustained write speed around 205MB/s. Their one knock: lower write speed is the main compromise compared to pricier options.
Here’s the honest part. For loading and playing games you already have installed, the two cards perform very similarly according to that testing. The SanDisk’s advantage mostly shows up when you’re downloading a game for the first time or copying a large library of games onto the card, not when you’re just launching something you’ve already got installed.
At 256GB, this card also doubles the Switch 2’s built in storage, same as the SanDisk. Larger capacities exist here too, up to 2TB, without needing to name a specific model.
Which one should you actually buy
Buy the Samsung if you mainly care about loading games quickly once they’re installed, and you want to spend less time thinking about storage.
Buy the SanDisk if you’re the type of household that juggles a rotating library of games, frequently installs and uninstalls, or regularly moves large files on and off the card.
Either card gets you well past the console’s built in 256GB. For more on what else is worth grabbing on day one, see our guide to Switch 2 accessories worth buying before a kid gets near it. And if you’re deciding between handhelds in the first place, our breakdown of Steam Deck vs Switch 2 vs ROG Xbox Ally covers which one actually survives a short play window.