Nintendo Switch 2 stores games only on microSD Express cards, up to 2TB. A regular microSD card, including the one from your original Switch, can only import screenshots and videos. Your game saves never go on a card at all, because they always stay in the console's system memory.
Here's how to tell the cards apart, how much space you need and what to do with the cards you already own.
What a microSD Express Card Can and Cannot Store
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Data
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On a microSD Express card?
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Downloaded games
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Yes
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Game updates
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Yes
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DLC
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Yes
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Screenshots and captured videos
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Yes
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Game save data
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No, always in system memory
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That list comes from Nintendo's microSD Express FAQ. Once you insert an Express card, it becomes the default place for new downloads, and you can move games between it and system memory from the console.
How to Spot a microSD Express Card
Look for the microSD EX logo, printed on the card itself and on the packaging. A card that only shows UHS-I, a U3 or V30 speed class, or an A2 rating is a regular microSD card, however fast it claims to be, and it won't store Switch 2 games.
The first time you insert a microSD Express card, Switch 2 needs a system update over the internet before it can use it, according to Nintendo's compatibility page. Connect to Wi Fi before you set it up.
How Fast Is microSD Express on Switch 2?
A regular microSD card runs on the UHS-I bus, which tops out at 104MB/s. microSD Express uses PCIe and NVMe instead, the same technology found in desktop SSDs, so its ceiling is far higher. Card makers advertise read speeds of up to about 900MB/s, but that figure comes from testing on a computer with an Express reader.
Inside Switch 2, real speeds are lower. One card maker lists about 205MB/s read and 140MB/s write in the console, which is still roughly twice what the fastest UHS-I card can manage. Don’t pay extra for the biggest number on the box. Any genuine microSD Express card with the EX logo will load games at the speed Switch 2 supports.
How Much Storage Do You Need?
Switch 2 has 256GB of built in storage, and part of that is reserved for the system. Game sizes vary a lot. Donkey Kong Bananza is about 9.7GB, Mario Kart World is about 23.4GB and Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is about 59.7GB.
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Card size
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Large games (about 60GB)
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Mid size games (about 23GB)
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Small games (about 10GB)
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256GB
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About 4
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About 10
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About 24
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512GB
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About 8
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About 20
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About 48
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1TB
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About 16
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About 40
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About 95
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Counts are rough, because cards hold a little less than their label and updates grow over time. Game key cards matter here too. They hold a key to the game rather than the full game, so the game still downloads and takes up space. If you buy mostly big third party games, 512GB is a comfortable starting point.
Do Old Switch microSD Cards Still Work?
Only in a limited way. Switch 2 can read an old card to import your screenshots and videos, but it can't run or store games from it. Any games you owned on the original Switch need to be downloaded again to system memory or to a microSD Express card.
Your old card is still useful in an original Switch, and an Express card works there too, but only at regular microSD speed. If you're keeping an original Switch, our guide to picking a 2TB microSD card for the original Switch covers that console.
Card Readers and Copying From a PC
A microSD Express card fits a regular microSD reader, but it runs at regular microSD speed there. You'll need a reader made for microSD Express to see its full speed on a computer.
For games, do everything on the console. Nintendo's support pages describe moving games between system memory and the card on Switch 2 itself, not by copying folders on a PC. A computer is still handy for backing up screenshots and videos.
Avoid Fake microSD Express Cards
Express cards cost more than regular microSD cards, which makes them a target for fakes. Be wary of 1TB and 2TB cards priced far below the big retailers, sold by unknown sellers or missing the microSD EX logo.
A fake card may report a large capacity but lose data once it fills up, so test it before you download a big library. Our guide on how to spot a fake capacity microSD card walks through the checks. To understand the speed labels, read how UHS-I, UHS-II and microSD Express differ.
FAQs
Does Switch 2 need a microSD Express card?
Only if you want more storage for games. Switch 2 has 256GB built in, and microSD Express is the only card type that can store games, updates and DLC on top of that.
Can I use my old Switch microSD card in Switch 2?
Only to import screenshots and videos. Switch 2 can't store or run games from a regular microSD card, so games need to go on system memory or a microSD Express card.
What is the biggest microSD card Switch 2 supports?
Nintendo supports microSD Express cards up to 2TB. Cards larger than that aren't listed as compatible.
Are game saves stored on the microSD Express card?
No. Nintendo stores all save data in system memory. The card holds downloaded games, updates, DLC, screenshots and videos.
How many games fit on a 256GB microSD Express card?
About 10 games the size of Mario Kart World, or about 4 large third party games like Cyberpunk 2077. Smaller titles fit in much greater numbers.
Do game key cards need storage space?
Yes. A game key card holds a key rather than the full game, so the game downloads to system memory or your microSD Express card.
Is microSD Express faster than a regular microSD card?
Yes. A regular card is capped at 104MB/s by the UHS-I bus, while microSD Express uses PCIe and NVMe. In Switch 2, Express cards read at roughly twice the speed of the fastest regular cards. In older devices and regular readers, though, they drop back to regular microSD speed.
