Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 guarantees 4K visuals in docked mode and a beefier 256GB of inside storage. However there’s a catch: if you wish to broaden that storage, you’ll want a microSD Specific card—a brand new, blazing-fast format that’s leaving old-school microSD playing cards within the mud.
Nintendo has made it clear that the Change 2 calls for a selected sort of storage. In contrast to its predecessor, which fortunately accepted customary microSD playing cards, the brand new console requires microSD Specific playing cards to maintain up with its superior capabilities. “The Nintendo Change 2 solely helps microSD Specific playing cards for expandable storage to make sure optimum efficiency for next-generation video games,” Nintendo acknowledged in a latest press launch. The selection displays the Nintendo Change 2’s demand for fast knowledge switch to help visually demanding video games and lower down on load instances. Even high-speed microSD playing cards, reminiscent of UHS-I or UHS-II fashions, fall wanting the bandwidth required for the console’s objectives, like dealing with intricate recreation property or enabling 4K textures in docked mode.
So, what’s the take care of microSD Specific? At its essence, it’s a supercharged model of the microSD card you would possibly already know, however with a secret weapon: it makes use of PCIe Gen3 x1 expertise, the identical form present in fashionable SSDs. This permits microSD Specific playing cards to hit learn speeds as much as 890MB/s and write speeds as much as 750MB/s—about 4.4 instances quicker than the UHS-I playing cards used within the authentic Change. For context, downloading a chunky 23.4GB recreation like Mario Kart World on a regular UHS-I card would possibly really feel like ready for a kettle to boil. PNY’s playing cards can be found in 128GB for $44.99 and 256GB for $55.99.
Velocity isn’t the one perk. PNY has engineered these playing cards to remain cool throughout marathon gaming periods, a essential characteristic for a handheld just like the Change 2 that lacks followers or hefty cooling methods. “Our microSD Specific playing cards are crafted with distinctive warmth dissipation designs and built-in thermal monitoring,” PNY defined of their Might 21, 2025, announcement. This implies the playing cards regulate efficiency on the fly to forestall overheating, holding your Donkey Kong Bananza periods (a svelte 10GB) working with out a hitch. Sturdiness is one other feather of their cap—PNY’s playing cards are magnet-proof, shock-proof, waterproof, drop-proof, X-ray-proof, humidity-proof, and wear-out-proof, backed by a lifetime restricted guarantee.
Backward compatibility provides a layer of versatility. Whereas the Change 2 insists on microSD Specific for its storage slot, PNY’s playing cards play good with older units like the unique Change or different devices that use UHS-I or UHS-II slots. Nintendo emphasised this flexibility: “microSD Specific playing cards preserve compatibility with current microSD units, permitting players to make use of them throughout their most popular consoles.” So, for those who’re not able to retire your previous Change, you’ll be able to nonetheless pop PNY’s card into it, although it’ll run on the slower UHS-I or UHS-II speeds.
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